Fixed Points
by NoHinny
Summary: Harry, Hermione, and Draco go back in time to fix the mistakes that led to the demise of the wizarding world. Major Ron and Dumbledore bashing. Eventual Ginny bashing. Eventual Dramione and Luna/Harry.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey everyone! So, my sister and I are cleaning things up a bit. Here's an edited and revised version of our first chapter.

Harry stood trembling in front of Voldemort, never once averting his green eyes. He knew what he had to do. He wasn't afraid.

"Come to die?" Voldemort asked, a smirk playing across his face. The dark lord raised his wand.

Harry looked to his left where Draco lay drowning in his own blood, the sword of Gryffindor drenched in red. The blond had been so brave, agreeing to take on Tom after seeing his own parents killed by the madman. He hadn't hesitated, grabbing the closest thing to him. Did he even recognize he had taken the brightest symbol of the Gryffindor house? He probably would have thrown up if he'd known.

The brunet turned to his right were Hermione lay, eyes open, unseeing. She had gone up against Ron, when he turned on them. The redhead had pulled Harry toward Riddle, and Hermione had taken to using any hex she could think of at the time. The traitor had won, though. Harry should have never taught him _Sectumsempra_.

He looked Voldemort in the face and offered himself up. To Voldemort's right, stood the boy Harry thought had been his best friend. Ron Weasely laughed as Voldemort uttered the cursed words: _Avada Kedavra_. Harry knew no more.

The moment Harry's heart stopped beating, a shockwave rang out through Great Britain, pulsing magic through the air. Every magical being dropped dead. The shockwave grew. Soon, the entire population of the wizarding world had perished.

Outside of time and space, Fate and Time looked at one another, eyes wide with concern.

"Well that's not right." Fate sighed as Time shook its head. They turned and there before them were the two wizards and witch in question, dazed and confused.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, struggling to quite comprehend what had occurred.

"Are we in heaven?" Hermione asked, her nose scrunching as she caught sight of the one person she last expected to be there.

"I think I'm in hell," Draco said, glaring at the other two, disdain written all over his face.

"Enough!" Fate demanded, looking from wizard to witch to wizard. "I had it up to here with you. All your fighting, all your animosity, it's been a distraction from what you needed to do.

"This is where everything went pear shaped. The three of you were supposed to be friends. Had you just followed the lead _I_ gave you, the wizarding world would still be alive."

"We're all dead? Every single wizard in Britain?" Harry asked.

"The world," Time said. All three gaped.

"Now, because we cannot let the entirety of the wizarding population die out, we are offering you a chance to redeem yourselves," Fate added.

"Really? Oh, thank you," Hermione said.

"But…" Fate said.

"There's a but?" Draco asked, looking decidedly more concerned. _What could be the but? Nothing good ever comes from a but_ …Draco thought.

"But…you three must be friends. You must become the Golden Trio, like you were meant to be, before the three of you decided that you didn't like each other enough to get along."

"No…instead, you choose to befriend that dirtbag Weasely," Time said, rolling its eyes and sneering. "He's the idiot that kept Harry from becoming the great wizard he was supposed to be and made Hermione feel like trash."

"Also," Fate looked pointedly at Time to stop the rant, "if you take this option, you cannot change the direct timeline. You can make small changes, but there are fixed points that must stay the same. These things might not seem obvious to you, but when you get there, you will know you've reached a fixed event."

Draco, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other. Could they do it? Could they really go back and be friends to one another? What about their shared past? What about all the awful things they had done to one another? Could they really leave that all behind them and start anew?

"One thing…can we tell anyone we are time travelers?" Harry asked. Time and Fate looked at one another.

"That's usually against the rules. I'd advise against it unless you find it absolutely necessary. The more people that know, the more likely things will change inadvertently," Time said with caution.

Harry looked to Hermione. Hermione looked to Draco. Draco looked to Harry. Hermione and Draco nodded to Harry. He turned to Fate and Time.

"We'll do it."

Time and Fate looked at one another and smiled. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and Draco, Harry, and Hermione lost their footing.

Harry sat up, short of breath, holding back a scream. He looked around. He saw the broken toy soldiers standing on the rotting wooden shelf. He wildly grasped in front of him to grab the string he somehow knew was there. His hand connected with it and he pulled. The light came on, bathing him in a soft glow as he looked around. He was in his cupboard. He was at the Dursleys. He looked down at himself. He was ten years old.


	2. Diagon Alley

A/N: All characters belong to J.K. Just having some fun.

Diagon Alley

Harry stood up on the platform at Madame Malkins, considering his trip down memory lane that last few days. He had forgot how funny it was to see Dudley with a pig's tale. As he stood there thinking over the previous few days, he shuddered as he heard a familiar voice ring out, "Potter".

Harry looked over to his right to see Draco standing there, with a smug look on his face. He looked around to ensure nobody else was listening in before he countered, "Malfoy". Harry bit back the coming response as it could be construed as offensive. "Have you considered what Time and Fate had to say?"

Draco looked back at Harry, one eye brow quirked. "That we must become friends this time around?"

Harry's eyes rolled. "Yes, that." Malfoy yawned as if bored with the conversation.

"I suppose." He drawled. He held out his hand. "Will you accept my hand this time?"

Harry smirked. "I guess I could be troubled to exert the energy required to shake your hand." He joked as he reached and shook his hands.

"That's a lot of words. Didn't know you had that many in you." Draco scoffed as Madame Malkin walked in.

"Hogwarts, dear?" She asked Harry. He nodded. "Well, then, let's just take off your shirt so we can get an accurate measure for your clothes." She explained as she began to yank his overgrown shirt over his head. Draco looked over, about to start another thread of conversation, when he saw them. Pale colored scars adorned almost every inch of the savior of the wizarding world. He noticed a big purple bruise swelling on the right side of his abdomen, and a pale green bruise covering his left sternum. _Why does Potter have those bruises, those scars?_ Draco queried to himself as he turned back and let his seamstress work on his robes.

The boys made polite conversation as they were measured. Near the end, Draco decide to quench his curiosity.

"So, Potter, how did you come across those scars?" Draco asked.

Harry paused and shifted nervously. "It's…my uncle. He just…gets a little frustrated, sometimes. He can't help it. It's nothing." He added quickly. Draco gaped. Could the savior of the wizarding world not be as pampered as he originally thought?

At this point, Draco jumped off the pedestal.

"Well, _Harry_ , we'll have to write over the summer. What's your address?" Draco asked.

"Number Four, Privet Dr, Surrey," Harry responded, still looking down.

"Great, I'll owl you. And you'll tell me whenever your uncle gets…frustrated." Draco ordered quietly.

When Draco got home, the first thing he did was run up to his room to compose a letter to Harry. He wasn't sure what he should say, so he had to throw the parchment out a couple times. Eventually, he came up with something he was willing to send to his new…friend.

 _Harry,_

 _How are you? I hope you are doing well. I am fine, but thought I would owl you right away so I did not forget. I was wondering, what exactly happened this year? It would be nice to know, you know. Anyway, if we could get on the same parchment that would be helpful._

 _Hope you are enjoying your summer,_

 _Draco_

Draco found that his reply came quickly. The next evening, he received a letter from Harry.

 _Draco,_

 _Yes, it probably is a good idea we get on the same…parchment. I am fine, thank you. I may not respond as quickly as I did today. Uncle gets_ frustrated _when his meals are late or the house isn't clean._

 _So, what you need to know about this year: Hagrid already grabbed the Philosopher's Stone as he helped me grab the money I would need. Dumbledore was very conspicuous, sending Hagrid with a curious eleven-year-old to collect it._

 _Anyway, after you didn't show up for our duel (thanks for that, by the way), Ron, Hermione, and I had to dodge Filch and Mrs. Norris. That's when we met Fluffy. Now, I know what you're thinking: who's Fluffy? Sounds like a nice, cuddly familiar, right? Wrong. Fluffy's a Cerberus. A BIG CERBERUS named Fluffy guarded a trapdoor that led to the Philosopher's Stone. Throughout the year, we tried to solve the three-headed puzzle that was Fluffy and the trapdoor, when we finally figured out that someone was going after it, and we needed to stop them._

 _There were five obstacles we had to pass through to get through to make it to the stone. The first was Devil's Snare, which Hermione got through easily. The second was a set of winged keys that I had to grab with the help of a trusty broom. The third, well, let's just hope you can play chess, because Ron got us through the transfigured chessboard obstacle. Fourth was a troll that was already unconscious. Fifth was a logic puzzle and potion created by Professor Snape._

 _I don't like to talk about what happened after that. Let's just say, Quirrell died, I got the stone, and Voldemort left in spectral form._

 _So, yeah. That's all that happened. I really should get going now, get ready for bed and all that._

 _Talk to you soon,_

 _Harry_

Draco stopped, thought for a moment, and then started writing. Soon, he sent Hedwig off and watched happily as she flapped her wings, the sun setting as she did so. He sat back and thought about the coming year. Maybe, just maybe, Harry would be a good friend to have. Harry went to bed, smirking, thinking about how just a few weeks ago, that thought would have seemed ludicrous.

The next evening, Harry received a reply to his last letter. He had to keep from smirking as he read it. Yes, this definitely seemed a strange turn of events, befriending Draco.

 _Dear Scarhead,_

 _Who the heck names a Cerberus FLUFFY? I guess the stone was pretty important if Dumbledork decided to hide it behind a three-headed dog and a troll. Better yet, why did he have to hide it in a school full of CHILDREN? I don't think he thought that through completely._

 _What should your uncle care if you are writing letters to a friend? How does that keep dinner from being made or the house being clean? He doesn't make YOU do them, does he? MERLIN, Potter, if he does make you work like a house-elf, I am going to come down there myself and…and…I don't know what I'll do, but it will be just as cruel and unusual as treating a young wizard as a slave._

 _Have you thought on whether anyone else has their memories, or are we the only two?_

 _Anyway, awaiting your reply,_

 _Draco_

Harry had to laugh. Maybe Malfoy would be a good friend. He had to grimace, though, as he looked at the heading. Was that the game he wanted to play? Harry smirked. Well, it was a game two could play. He started his reply.

 _Ferret,_

 _I really am starting to question Dumbledore's involvement in my life. I mean, he suspected many things about my life for how long and he never thought to tell me? Well, in answer to your question concerning Fluffy, who thought it was a good idea to introduce us to a hippogriff third year?_

 _Don't do anything stupid like come and rescue me in a flying car. Tried it, do not want to do it again._

 _Eagerly awaiting your reply,_

 _Harry_

And so the summer went. Harry and Draco continued to write letters to one another. Harry usually let Draco know in some fashion if Uncle Vernon was "frustrated" or not and Draco would try to tell some funny story about his conversations with Crabbe and Goyle. He had to wonder if Harry would make it to the train if his uncle got anymore "frustrated". For the first time ever, Draco was worried about someone besides his family.


	3. The First Train Ride

A/N: All Characters belong to J.K.

The First Train Ride

Harry looked behind him to the car where he could hear his uncle and cousin laughing their heads off. His aunt looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. She had seemed slightly different, this time around. Maybe-just maybe-he could get through to her this time.

Harry turned back around and looked over at the wall between platforms nine and ten. He realized that it was strange that Dumbledore had sent Hagrid, and then Hagrid conveniently forgot to mention how Harry could get on the platform. Well, at least he knew this time. Harry ran through the wall onto platform 9 ¾ .

As soon as he got through, he nearly ran into none other than Draco. So, this was why Dumbledore didn't tell him about the entrance. Instead of meeting Draco first, he had met the Weasleys, a light family he could easily control. Oh, how differently things would have gone if he had only known the way to get to the train!

"Hey Scarhead!" Draco teased as they gave each other a high-five.

"How are you, Ferret?" Harry replied.

"I'm good, you?" Draco asked. Before Harry could reply, Lucius and Narcissa walked up behind their son, glowering. Harry's answer died on his lips. Draco looked at Harry concerned, and then looked where Harry was looking. His smile vanished as he began to cower.

"Draco, care to introduce us?" Lucius asked snidely. Draco quivered as he turned around to Harry.

"Harry, these are my parents, Lord and Lady Malfoy. Mother, Father, this is Harry Potter." Draco introduced. Lucius used the end of his cane to swipe Harry's fringe away from his scar as he spoke.

"Ah, the boy-who-lived. What a surprise to see our Draco here already knows you." Lucius noted, as Harry grimaced at the cane touching his scar.

"We met at Madame Malkins. He's the one I've been owling." Draco explained quickly. His mother looked Harry up and down and sniffed disdainfully. Harry looked down at his cousin's castoffs and almost wished to do the same. However, he had an image to project. He would not let the Malfoy's get to him.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy." Harry greeted with a slight bow. Draco's brows disappeared behind his hairline as he looked at the black-haired boy. He never knew Potter could be so polite, even when someone treated him like crap.

"So, Harry, you ready for your first day at Hogwarts?" Draco asked, smiling glibly as Harry caught what he was trying to do.

"Yes, I am! I can't wait to finally use my magic! My aunt and uncle aren't big fans, you see." Harry explained to the Malfoys. Maybe they would pass along the information to Severus. He looked over at the older pair. They probably would not. Well, worth the try.

Before Lucius was able to scoff, Harry caught a glimpse at the next group coming through the barrier-a large group of red heads, one with dirt on his nose. Harry couldn't believe it: Ron was there. He completely forgot about the traitor! The sneak! That lowlife! Harry was about to come up with a few other creative names for the creep when Draco caught his arm and turned him ninety degrees. There, beside all the Weasleys, was Hermione.

Hermione, did she remember? Was she another one who went back in time?

"Harry?" Hermione called as she walked over to where he and Draco stood.

"Mione?" Harry asked in response. Hermione shook her head and Harry ran and embraced her. "Hermione, I'm so glad you are here!"

"I'm glad you're here, too!" She exclaimed, then looked over at the Malfoys. She quirked an eyebrow. "You remember? Time and Fate?" She whispered in his ear. He nodded discreetly. Hermione turned to Draco. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. You are?"

"Draco, Draco Malfoy." Draco responded, forcing himself to focus on his first name rather than his last. After the previous timeline, he realized that his last name was not as special as he wanted it to be. It didn't make him better than anyone else like he thought before. Instead, it was him, who he was, that made the difference.

"Well, Draco, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione smiled. Draco went for a handshake, but Hermione grabbed him up in a hug. "Time and Fate?" She whispered in his ear, much like she had with Harry.

"Time and Fate and best friends." Draco added, reminding her of the ultimatem they had been given. Hermione drew back and smiled as she nodded her head.

The train whistle blew. Harry, Hermione, and Draco said goodbye to the Malfoys and ran off. They boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment.

"You guys made it!" Hermione almost squealed as she hugged Harry again.

"You did, too! I can't believe we were allowed to keep all our memories from last time!" Harry replied as he squeezed Hermione one more time.

"Well, pretty useless to go back in time if we made the same mistakes and assumptions again." Draco figured, looking at his fingers with disinterest.

"Oh, Draco! We need to fill you in! There's so much we need to do this year, and…" Hermione started. Harry held up his hand to stop her.

"I already told him the basics." Harry interrupted. Hermione grinned in satisfaction.

"Seriously? Fluffy?" Was all Draco could say. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hagrid. He's also hiding an acromantula colony in the Forbidden Forest and has a giant for a half-brother." Hermione explained. Harry shivered.

"Grawp, oh boy! I forgot about him!" Harry moaned.

"Whose big idea was it to allow this man to be in charge of anyone, let alone students?" Draco questioned. Harry looked him right in the eye.

"Dumbledore." Harry answered succinctly. Hermione gave Harry a weary look.

"Harry, I don't think we should trust Dumbledore anymore." She advised.

"Why ever not, Hermione?" Harry asked sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, obviously, he's the one who kept putting you in these awful situations in the first place! I mean, who has Hagrid pick up a muggle raised student? Who tells Hagrid anything classified? No one in their right mind would!" Hermione explained. Harry smiled.

"There's something else, Mione. He-he doesn't expect me to make it at the end of the war." Harry murmured sadly. Hermione looked at him expectantly. "Hermione, I…I'm a horcrux."

"What!?" Hermione yelped. She looked around and made to set up a silencing charm when Draco stopped her.

"Watch it, Granger. You still have a trace on your wand. The Ministry of Magic will be on you like a hawk on its prey if you aren't careful." Draco reminded her. Hermione pouted for a moment before she smiled knowingly.

"Not if we take off our trackers." She answered glibly.

"That would be great! Then, we could do magic over the summer! We could protect ourselves!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. Hermione's smile broadened as she saw how happy this news made Harry. However, it faded quickly.

"Oh, Harry, I don't think we can take yours off. I know you had some struggles with the Ministry and this would be one less thing to worry about, but we need the trace on your wand for fifth year. How would we explain why your wand didn't have one after the query came out concerning the dementors?" Hermione asked as Harry scowled.

"Dementors? Fifth year?" Draco questioned, confused. Hermione took to explaining.

"The summer after fourth year, Umbridge sends out a pair of dementors to attack Harry and his cousin. They almost succeeded in giving him the kiss before he used his patronus to escape. It's what lead to his trial and the ministry involvement in the school." Hermione said.

"Why can't I take it off and pretend to be surprised that it's off?" Harry asked pathetically. Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"Do you want more trouble that year? You already are up against Umbridge with her accusing you of lying. Do you want that to be true? Do you want to lie to the ministry?" Hermione asked.

"I guess I understand why we have to keep mine on, but I don't like it." Harry muttered.

"Duly noted." Hermione responded as she looked over at Draco. "Well, Draco, what about it? Are we going to take our tracers off?" She questioned. Draco nodded vigorously as he handed her his wand.

"You don't have to ask me twice." Draco responded.

"Well, then, I think we found our first research project." Hermione decided. Draco smirked and Harry rolled his eyes but smiled at his best friend. It was agreed. The first thing they would do after they got to Hogwarts was research how to get the tracers off Hermione and Draco's wands.

They all fell back into a companionable silence. Draco swished his wand a few times and sighed as they watched the English countryside drift by through the window.

Suddenly, Ron came bursting through the sliding door.

"Are any of you Harry Potter?" He queried rudely, eyes roving their faces looking for the lightning bolt scar.

"That would be me." Harry sighed. Had Ron been so desperate to be his friend? Was this really what had happened last time when he came over and asked to see Harry's scar?

"Hiya, Harry, I'm Ron Wealey. Can I see your scar?" Ron asked as he sat down next to Hermione and sneered at Draco.

"I actually don't like showing it off." Harry murmured as he moved his fringe over the infamous mark.

"Well, that's okay. I can see it later." Ron decided. Harry sighed. Had Ron always been this presumptuous.

"I guess…" Harry sighed. Ron looked over at Draco again and sneered once more. Ron looked back at Harry, as if trying to decide.

"Well, Harry, I'm going to go back to Neville. I'll see you in Gryffindor." Ron supposed as he got up and walked out of the carriage.

"Was I really that pompous?" Draco asked as Harry turned back to sit down. Harry and Hermione looked at each other.

"Yes," They replied together. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I love how he assumes we'll be in Gryffindor." Harry chuckled and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Draco snorted. Harry chewed his lip, as if trying to make a decision.

"Well, the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin." Harry explained apologetically.

"What? The Gryffindor Golden Boy was supposed to be in Slytherin?" Draco exclaimed. "Why did you end up in Gryffindor?"

"Well, I had already met you, and people told me that only dark wizards went to Slytherin, so I kept asking the hat to put me anywhere besides Slytherin." Harry told Draco.

"Maybe we should see what people would think by putting you guys in Slytherin." Draco suggested. Hermione shook her head.

"No offense, Draco, but if you want to get out from under your father's shadow, I think you need to be elsewhere." Hermione rebutted. Draco looked stunned. "Just something to think about. You don't have to, but just saying."

Draco fell into contemplation. They remained silently for the rest of the ride.


	4. The Sorting

A/N: All characters belong to J.K. Written by marauderfascination. All familiar content found in _Harry Potter and_ _The Sorcerer's Stone_.

The Sorting

As the train came to a stop, Harry, Draco, and Hermione all filed off into the Hogsmeade station. There was a lot of noise but over the crowd Harry could hear "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Hagrid shouted.

Harry smiled and reminisced. He just couldn't believe he was back at his beloved Hogwarts again. He walked over to the half giant. "Hey Hagrid!" He greeted.

"Harry! How yuh doin'? Did yuh get to the platform a'right?" He asked giving Harry a suffocating hug.

When Harry was finally released he smiled and replied, "I'm good. Yes, I got there okay. It wasn't too hard." Harry silently added that it was odd that Hagrid "forgot" to tell him about the platform, but was now asking him if he found it. It was strange but Harry decided to think about it later. Once Hagrid had collected all the first years, they headed toward the boats.

"No more than four on a boat." He told them. Harry and the crew-regrettably including Ron-got in the boat. The boats started moving across the Black Lake.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec" Hagrid called.

"Wow!" Many exclaimed as the castle came into view. The three time travelers recalled the last time they rode the boats to Hogwarts. They smiled as the remembered the wonder they felt.

Draco suddenly had an idea. "I heard there's a giant squid who eats children on their way to the castle. I also heard it prefers redheads." He whispered behind his hand in Ron's direction.

Ron went wide eyed and then squinted at the young Malfoy. "I'm not gonna fall for that one, Malfoy." He spat confidently, eyeing the water, and scooting closer to Hermione, whom he was sitting next to.

"I'm just saying what I've heard, Weasley." He bit back, all the while throwing a smirk at Harry. Harry giggled, but covered it with a cough. Hermione gave the boys a disappointing look, but bit back a laugh as well. For the rest of the ride, Ron stayed nervously quiet.

Finally, they had arrived at the castle. Hagrid led them to a hall with a stern looking woman in front of a pair of large doors. The woman had on green, fitting robes and wore a tight-lipped smile.

"He'e yuh go, Professor McGonagall!" Hagrid called to the woman.

She smiled and replied. "Thank you, Hagrid." She looked around at the first years, "Welcome to Hogwarts! The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes your own.

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes swept over the crowd once again stopping momentarily on Neville Longbottom's cloak (which was fastened incorrectly), on Draco's superior posture, and on Harry (whose hand had subconsciously flown up to flatten his hair).

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

The professor slipped through the double doors and vanished.

"How exactly do they sort us?" someone asked.

Ron answered quickly, trying to seem smart, "My brothers told me you have to fight a troll"

The three who had already done this scoffed. Hermione opened her mouth to correct him, but Draco beat her to it.

"That's preposterous! Why would they make a bunch of children fight a dangerous creature? It's obviously only some sort of test or observation to see which house will best fit us" Draco drawled, trying to act as if he didn't completely know. Harry and Hermione shared a humorous look when Draco said, 'make a bunch of children fight a dangerous creature'.

Ron glared at the young Malfoy. "What do you know _Malfoy_. Plus, why do you even care, we all know where you're going." Ron seethed, mad that Draco had made him look foolish in front of Harry Potter.

Draco decided to ignore him. All the sudden the ghosts came from the walls. After talking to the children, they retreated and Professor McGonagall came out to retrieve the children.

They all walked into the Great Hall and most were astonished by the ceiling, which was charmed to look like the sky outside. As they reached the front of the Hall, Professor McGonagall placed a stool down in front of the first years. On top of the stool, was the old, raggedy, Sorting Hat. The Hall was silenced as the Hat started to sing.

" _Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_  
 _But don't judge on what you see,_  
 _I'll eat myself if you can find_  
 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_  
 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_  
 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_  
 _So try me on and I will tell you_  
 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_  
 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_  
 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_  
 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,_  
 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_  
 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,_  
 _Where those of wit and learning,_  
 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,_  
 _Those cunning folks use any means_  
 _To achieve their ends._

 _So, put me on! Don't be afraid!_  
 _And don't get in a flap!_  
 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_  
 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

As the hat finished the Hall erupted into applause

"See Weasley, it's only a mere hat." Draco informed Ron, who had made his way beside Harry.

"Sod off, Malfoy" Ron said distastefully. Harry and Draco smirked to each other.

Professor McGonagall rolled out a piece of parchment and started calling out names.

"Abbott, Hannah." A girl went up and the hat was placed on her head. Only seconds later the hat announced

"Hufflepuff!" The Hufflepuff table erupted into applause.

Then it went on like that. Name after name.

"Bones, Susan- Hufflepuff; Boot, Terry- Ravenclaw; Brocklehurst, Mandy- Ravenclaw; Brown, Lavender- Gryffindor; Bulstrode, Millicent- Slytherin; Crabbe, Vincent- Slytherin; Finch-Fletchley, Justin- Hufflepuff; Finnegan, Seamus- Slytherin…" _That's not right_ Harry thought.

Finally, Hermione was summoned to the front.

"Granger, Hermione" the professor called. She walked up warily, just as she had last time. Harry was curious, ' _Why should she be nervous? It's just a hat, and she already knows what's about to happen. She really is "keep things the same"._ About a minute later the hat announced "Gryffindor!" The house in question erupted in applause as everyone did when they got a new member.

Then it went on again, "Longbottom, Neville- Gryffindor; MacDougal- Slytherin; Malfoy, Draco."

Hearing his name called, Draco haughtily stepped up on the platform and sat on the chair, only barely, expecting to get up right away. The Hat was placed on his head and he awaited its decision.

"Hmm…. Interesting, I thought you would be an easy one to sort, you are from the Malfoy line, aren't you?" the Hat asked. _Of course, I am!_ Draco thought back. "Just checking…. you are very different than any Malfoy I've sorted. Time travel? Not new information, but you? Sacrificing your own comfort for the wizarding race? You're more Gryffindor than you could possibly imagine. There is still ambition, sly, cunning, and self-preservation, but I think it will be best for you to be in GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat announced before the boy had time to argue.

The whole hall went completely silent. Draco was paralyzed in fear. Professor McGonagall nudged the boy off the chair. Draco, being shoved slightly, stumbled to gain his balance. Draco looked back at the professor.

"There has to have been a mistake. I don't belong there. The Hat made a mistake!" Draco told the Professor warily, but persistently.

"There has been no mistake, please sit down at your respective table." The professor said sternly but gently. Malfoy dragged his feet and hung his head in defeat. He sat down and the professor called more names.

"Moon… Nott… Parkinson… Patil… Patil… Perks… Potter, Harry." She called out.

"Did she say Potter? Harry Potter?" Whispers could be heard through the crowd.

"The Harry Potter," another said.

Harry gave a glance back to Draco, who was sitting next to Fred Weasley with his head lying on the table, until it perked up upon hearing Harry's name called. He smiled encouragingly at Harry, but quickly turned back into a frown. Harry sat on the stool and the Hat was placed on his head.

"Difficult, another time traveler, I should have known. Hmm… Courage, plenty of that. Great mind, yes, wonderful even. Loads of talent-My, you will be great. Slytherin would do you quite well…." The hat wondered

"Not Slytherin! Not Slytherin!" Harry thought.

"Not Slytherin, you say? Hm, then it will have to be GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted.

The whole Gryffindor table stood up in cheer. Harry jauntily made his way to his house table.

"WE'VE GOT POTTER! WE'VE GOT POTTER!" the Weasley twins chorused.

Harry sat beside a very nervous Draco. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Draco looked up from his hands, "My father will hear about this!" Draco moaned.

"You're really going to call him down here just because you're in Gryffindor?" Harry asked, thinking Draco might not have changed.

"No. I mean, Father will be furious." He answered. Harry looked at Draco with a sad smile.

"It'll be okay" Harry assured. After the excitement wore off, the Sorting continued. Ron was sorted in to Gryffindor just as he had before, much to the consternation of the time travelers. After it was done Dumbledore stood up at the podium and said a few words. The meal commenced and after being starved all summer, Harry loaded up his plate a mile high. Draco, who was very nervous, nibbled, but didn't eat more than a bite or two of food. Harry thought for a bit why Seamus would be in Gryffindor one time and Slytherin the next, but only considered it for a while before going back to feasting. When the feast was done, they followed Percy back to the common room, said goodnight to Hermione, and went up to their dorms. Harry and Draco picked beds right next to each other, while Ron picked the bed directly across from Harry. Harry and Draco talked and decided to concern themselves with the whole Quirrelmort thing later, and went to bed.


	5. Settling In

A/N: Not my characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling.

Settling In

Harry, Draco, and Hermione walked down the corridor on their way to Potions class. As they went, Draco thought back to what had happened during this crazy first week. There had been so many things that had occurred as they began to settle in, especially as he began to think about his time in Gryffindor.

~Flashback~

The new Golden Trio was walking toward breakfast on Monday morning. As they went, they talked about what Draco could expect as a Gryffindor.

"They're very loud. It's impossible to study in the common room. I always had to go to the library if I wanted to get any studying done." Hermione whined. Harry just shrugged.

"I like it. You see lots of people. Everyone's very accepting…" Harry trailed off. At that moment, Ron Weasley ran up to Harry.

"Hiya Harry! I didn't see you earlier this morning." Ron complained. "I got up early because I didn't know when breakfast started…" Harry sighed.

"Hi, Ron. Yeah, we were just heading down to eat." Harry explained, pointing to Hermione and Draco. Ron smiled at Hermione, but wrinkled his nose at Draco.

"You mean, this junior death eater?" Ron asked, pointing at the blonde. Draco huffed.

"Excuse me? Who are you, Weasel, to decide who is and is not worthy of Harry's time? Are you his keeper?" Draco sneered.

"No, but I would think Harry would not want to associate himself with the scion of the most loyal death eater to You-Know-Who." Ron quipped back. Draco opened his mouth as if to get in a jab back when Harry cut in.

"Ron, thank you for your concern, but I can decide who the right sort is myself." Harry snidely remarked. Draco had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Ron's smile fell.

"Haha, he got you good, Weasley." Seamus chuckled as he came up to the group. Harry held out his hand.

"Seamus, right?" Harry asked. "I'm Harry Potter."

Seamus looked questioningly at Harry's hand. "I know who you are." He replied. He almost looked like he would take Harry's hand when Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson walked up behind them.

"Hey, Finnegan, you palling around with Potter? I didn't take you for a blood traitor. However, it might make sense, your father being a dumb muggle and all." Blaise snapped, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"No, I was just about to say to him how he got lucky with You-Know-Who. I bet you if _he_ was here today, Harry wouldn't last five seconds." Seamus sneered, his eyes betraying the fear he seemed to have. Harry was hurt. He thought Seamus was his friend. But then, looking back to fifth year, he remembered how quickly Seamus had turned on him. Maybe, this was for the best.

"Finnegan, you wouldn't last one second against him. Perhaps while You-Know-Who is finishing off you, Harry will have a chance to off him again." Draco bit, his eyes burning with righteous anger. It was then that Draco realized how much Harry had to put up with last time. All his friends seemed to turn on him within seconds. People who might seem friendly quickly would retreat at the mention of possibly being on the wrong side of things. If you did not want to be a part of the war, it was best to stay away from Harry Potter.

Draco thought how sad that must have been. Harry really did need him as a friend. Yes, he had already planned to be friends with Harry this time around, but this idea made it easier for him to accept.

"Or perhaps your dad will come in and kill Harry while the Dark Lord is finishing off you." Finnegan replied. Blaise and Pansy laughed.

"Ha, good one, Finnegan. Maybe we were wrong about you after all!" Pansy quipped. Blaise patted him on the back.

"Yeah, at least we know who the real blood traitors are now." Blaise added, glaring at Draco and Ron. "Daddy won't be very happy when he finds out, will he? His only heir, a bleeding heart Gryffindor." Blaise snipped at Draco. Draco's eyes widened. Shoot, he knew he forgot something last night. He stepped back.

Hermione stepped forward. "At least he's not afraid to think for himself. Where did you get your ideals from, your mom?" Blaise turned red.

"What's it to you, mudblood?" Blaise spat. Draco saw red. Before he knew what was happening, he was on top of Blaise, pounding the snot out of him. Harry and Hermione grabbed Draco as Seamus and Pansy tried to grab Blaise.

"He's not worth it, Draco." Hermione pleaded as she tried to calm him down. Draco finally jumped off of Blaise and began to take deep breaths.

"Need protecting from you boyfriend, do you?" Seamus sneered at Hermione. He helped Blaise up and Pansy put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Let's get out of here, before the blood traitor tries something else." Pansy suggested. The three Slytherins left, leaving Ron, Draco, Hermione, and Harry in the corridor. Hermione turned and glared at Ron. He stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide.

"Well, I guess I better go grab my books. See ya later, Harry! Bye!" Ron said quickly, not even trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

Draco, Harry, and Hermione watched him go. They turned around to head toward the Great Hall. As Draco turned, he caught a glimpse of his godfather, Severus, in the shadows. From the way he was looking at the blonde, Draco knew he had been standing there for quite some time. However, he could not tell from the look in his godfather's eyes if the man was disappointed in him or proud of him. He shrugged. As long as he did not get called in for a detention, he did not care at this moment. He just tucked that tidbit of information in the back of his mind, planning to think on it later.

Draco was thrown from his contemplation by a voice to his side.

"So, Draco, what are you going to tell your father?" Hermione asked.

~Flashback ending~

Draco shivered. He suddenly remembered what happened later that week, when that question came back to bite him in the butt.

~Flashback~

Draco had just sat down at the Gryffindor table to enjoy dinner with Harry and Hermione. Hermione had quipped about Weasley's struggle to get to Transfiguration on time, just as he had the previous timeline. Draco had to be careful as he laughed, as he had just taken a swig of pumpkin juice and he did not want to do anything as undignified as snort pumpkin juice from his nose.

All joy was taken from the moment when the Great Hall doors slammed open. Draco whipped around in time to see his father striding over to the Slytherin table. Draco tried to make himself very small. Maybe-just maybe-his father would not see him and leave. However, his wish for his father to disappear did not come true. After his father's failed attempt at finding him amongst the Slytherins, he began to scan the rest of the Great Hall. When their eyes locked, Draco flinched. _Uh oh, this is not going to end well_. Draco thought. Before Draco had much time to think about how to get out of this, he found his father standing right in front of him.

"Draco, come with me, now." His father almost growled. His father grabbed his arm and gave it a tight squeeze. Draco flinched again. He looked apologetically at Harry and Hermione and then got up to leave with his father.

To his father's credit, he did wait until they had reached the headmaster's office before he started their conversation.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you have not contacted your mother and I for three days. We were worried sick about you. Then, when I come down here for answers, I find you not at the Slytherin table where you are supposed to be, but rather at the Gryffindor table, palling around with Potter and that mudblood. What is going on?" Lucius demanded. Draco bent his head and looked down at the floor, successfully averting his gaze. He mumbled something. His father was not pleased. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, we taught you better than to mumble. Please speak up and explain your current behavior."

"I said, I _am_ supposed to be at the Gryffindor table." Draco trembled. He looked up into his father's eyes. The man grimaced.

"Explain." His father bit out. Draco blinked a couple of times before he could come up with any words.

"I'm not a Slytherin." Draco confessed. His father glared.

"What?" He barked. Draco immediately averted his eyes again.

"I'm not a Slytherin. I was sorted somewhere else." Draco explained. His father turned red.

"Where were you sorted?" Lucius asked, trying to force his son to admit the truth.

"In Gryffindor." Draco whispered. All time seemed to stop. When it restarted, he heard his father's cane before he felt it. His father caned him three times. Draco had to bite his lip to keep it from trembling, and closed his eyes tightly to keep from crying.

"How could you? You have shamed the Malfoy family, Draco." Lucius spat. Draco licked his lips and kept his gaze rooted firmly to the floor. "We must get you resorted immediately."

"But father, you know that's a myth. No one is allowed to be resorted. Besides…" Draco trailed off. He took a deep breath. "Besides, I don't want to be resorted."

"Excuse me?" Lucius growled. "Do you mean to say you want to be in Gryffindor?"

Draco swallowed hard. "Yeh…Yes, sir. I already made so many friends, and it's where the hat put me. He said he saw great things for me there." Draco said, trying to appeal to his father's waning pride. His father glared at him.

"Fine. Do not expect to come home for Christmas. Your mother and I have a lot of things we would rather do than play host to a blood traitor, Draconis." Lucius bit, turning his back on the boy. Draco swallowed again. He knew he would have to stand up to his father, but he never thought it would hurt this much.

Once his father had left, Draco felt he was no longer hungry. He decided he would rather head back to Gryffindor tower. He had hoped not to run into anyone. He could head up to bed and no one would be the wiser.

However, Draco found he was pleasantly wrong. He thought he would be annoyed that Harry and Hermione were already in the common room, but he was never happier to be incorrect.

"Hey, everything okay?" Hermione asked him as he entered the common room.

"Everything's fine." Draco mumbled. This caught Harry's attention. He looked up at the retreating blonde head and ran over toward the stairs. He intercepted Draco and forced him over to one of the couches.

"You don't look fine, mate." Harry quipped, sitting the blonde down before he himself took a seat. "What happened?"

"I found out I'm staying over Christmas break." Draco replied, trying to side-step the question. Hermione would have none of it.

"Did your father tell you you're not welcome back at home?" She asked. The blonde did not even have to answer, it was written on his face. He nodded, blinking back tears.

"Well, I'm going to be staying here for Christmas, too. We can hang out." Harry suggested, trying to make light of the conversation. Hermione glared at the dark-haired boy.

"Harry! Try and be sensitive!" Hermione scolded. Draco just had to smile. Maybe, just maybe, this whole friend thing could work out for the better.

~Flashback ending~

Draco smiled as he reminisced about the moment he began think of Harry and Hermione as his friends. He could not believe Weasley could ever give that up to betray them to Voldemort. How stupid could he be? Draco shrugged. It was not his problem to deal with. Right now, he would just enjoy another class with his friends.


	6. The First Potions Class

A/N: Not Mine. All JK's, except for the fan theory found in Pottermore.

The First Potions Class

Harry couldn't decide whether he was excited or nervous. On the one hand, he was ready for potions this time around. On the other hand, he remembered Snape last time around. That thought brought back memories from the last battle. He suddenly saw Snape struggling to breathe, telling him to look into the older man's eyes. His breath quickened and he felt like he was reliving the moment he dropped into the pensieve to look into the potion master's memories, feeling the despair and the fear as he watched Snape accuse Dumbledore of raising him "like a lamb for the slaughter".

"You okay?" Draco whispered to him as he began to hyperventilate. He turned to look at the blond and noticed the concern in the boy's eyes. _Strange,_ Harry thought, _wouldn't have thought Malfoy could care enough about what happened to me to be concerned_. Harry nodded, putting on the brave "Boy-Who-Lived" mask that he hated so much. Draco looked at him disbelievingly.

Harry tried to get him to believe he was fine. He even went to doodling on his parchment, but he could feel the eyes of the Malfoy heir bearing into his soul. He sighed.

"I'm fine, Drake." Harry replied in a hushed tone. The Malfoy heir would not relent in his unbelieving stare. He looked back and forth to see the room filling up quickly. "Fine, I'll tell you after class, 'kay?" The blond nodded in understanding and turned back around to face the front of the class.

Very soon, Snape burst into the classroom. He walked over and gave his first of the year speech. Harry wrote down the basics, as he did the last time. Snape singled him out during roll call, again, and he actually flinched when the professor called him a "celebrity". However, this time he was ready for the professor's questions, and Draco was already to write down the questions and answers so he would be ahead when Snape yelled at them.

"Tell me, Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked. Harry watched Draco write this down, as did Hermione. However, as Draco wrote down this first question, he quickly was taken aback. Not about to question his friend when he had to answer his professor, he ignored it, for now.

"I think that would be Draught of the Living Death, sir." Harry answered.

"And where would I find a bezoar?" His professor questioned.

"Inside the stomach of a goat. It helps stop most poisons." Harry replied.

"And what is the difference between monkswood and wolfsbane?" His professor inquired.

"There is no difference. They're the same plant, also known as aconite." Harry answered, cheekily. Snape huffed and turned to the rest of the class.

"Well, why aren't you writing this down?" Snape asked, angrily. Harry smirked.

Harry and Draco spent the rest of the class brewing a near perfect potion. Of course, Neville and Ron's potion turned out terribly, as all of Neville's potions tended to do. Harry was not surprised when Snape irately turned to him.

"Potter, why didn't you tell Mr. Longbottom to wait until after he took the cauldron off the fire to add the porcupine quills?" Snape interrogated. Harry sighed. Why-oh why-did Snape have to act this way? He knew that Snape hated his dad-and with good reason-but when would Snape realize he was not James Potter?

"I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot watch both my potion and theirs. I was certain Ron was more than competent enough to help his partner brew a successful potion." Harry answered truthfully. Snape huffed.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, for your cheek." Snape told him. Harry sighed. He had to repeat the mantra _I won't let him get to me this time. I won't let him get to me this time_ over and over in his head. If he never gave Professor Snape the ammunition, he might be able to possibly have a semi-peaceful relationship with the man. He knew this was crucial to the war effort and survival.

As soon as class was over and his potion was turned in, Harry walked out of the classroom. Before he had much time to think about anything, Draco had grabbed onto his arm and dragged him up to the seventh floor. They finally stopped in front of the _Barnabas the Barmy_ painting. Draco paced in front of it three times and suddenly a door appeared. By this point, Hermione had thankfully caught up with them. Draco pulled open the door and quickly pulled his two friends in, shutting the door behind them.

"Mind telling me what that was about?" Harry panted, leaning over his knees in order to take big breaths of air. Draco's eyes went wide as he began looking in his backpack for a piece of parchment.

"Harry, do you know much about flowers?" Draco asked frantically. Harry looked quizzically at the blond, an eyebrow quirked.

"Like planting them…?" Harry asked confused. He knew a lot about planting flowers. He had to keep the gardens managed back at home.

"No, like their symbolism. Do you know what they mean?" Draco asked concerned. Hermione now was intrigued and looked down at the parchment Draco held in his hand. Quickly, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Now, Harry was concerned.

"What? What's wrong?" Harry asked, somewhat scared. Had something really bad happened already? What had he missed?

"Harry, what was the first question Professor Snape asked you?" Draco asked him.

"You were there." Harry replied, his right eyebrow quirked.

"Tell it back to me. Slowly." Draco commanded.

"Okay, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel…" Harry started.

"Asphodel," Draco interrupted, "is a type of lily that means 'my regrets follow you to the grave.'"

"Okay, is that it?" Harry asked.

"No, finish it." Draco demanded.

"With an infusion of wormwood…" Harry finished.

"Wormwood means absence and typically means bitter sorrow." Draco added. Harry stared at Draco, confused. "Put it together. A lily that shows regret that follows to the grave, and bitter sorrow." Harry still stared, confusion clear on his face.

"Harry, Professor Snape-loosely translated-said 'I bitterly regret Lily's death'." Hermione explained. Harry paled and his eyes grew wide.

"What?" Harry yelped.

"When I was writing down his question, it caught my attention. No first year would know the answer. So, I looked closer at it. Uncle Sev taught me what flowers symbolized. That's what got me thinking there was something more going on, and there was!" Draco began to explain.

"Harry, Professor Snape can't possibly let anyone know he's a good guy. He wouldn't be a good spy if people figured out he loved your mother." Hermione pointed out. "Yet, he still wanted to communicate how awful he felt about her death. He thought you would know this! Maybe that's why he was so tough with you after that! He thought you got this message and chose to ignore it." Hermione theorized.

"Or, he hated me because I was the constant reminder that my mom chose James Potter over him." Harry added nonchalantly. Draco gazed over at his new best friend and sighed.

"That's probably it, too, but at least give him a chance, Harry. I know my Uncle Sev. If he knew about your uncle's 'frustration'…" Draco started, Harry cut him off.

"We will never speak to him about my uncle's frustration. Understood?" Harry demanded firmly. Draco nodded, and switched gears.

"So, what were you thinking about before class started?" Draco asked Harry, eyeing the dark-haired boy suspiciously. Harry turned to the blond.

"I just had a flashback. Something happens, and suddenly, I'm back on the battlefield. It's nothing. I'll be fine." Harry promised. Hermione, however, worried her bottom lip.

"I don't think that you're fine, Harry. In the muggle world, that's called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and it's serious." She reminded him.

"I'll be fine. I'll get over it." Harry replied, getting annoyed.

"I think we should talk about it. What was it that set you off?" Hermione asked, not giving up. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I was just thinking about the first potions class. Then, I thought about Professor Snape. Soon, I was watching him struggle for breath and looking into his eyes like he pleaded me to do." Harry described. Again, he was thrown back into that moment. He could feel his heart beating at an insane rate.

"Harry? Harry!" Hermione cried out, shaking the boy gently. He shook his head and looked around. He was back in the Room of Requirement with a scared Hermione and a concerned Draco. _Again, he's concerned? I guess that's what a true friend does. Look at Hermione_ Harry thought to himself as he stared into the girl's eyes. They shone with tears unshed as she launched herself into his arms. "Oh, Harry! It happened again, didn't it? You went back?"

Harry sighed and nodded. Hermione took a few shaky breaths. She finally retracted from the hug so she could look into Harry's emerald eyes.

"Harry, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I found myself going back, too. When I'd see my parents, all I could think about what _Obliviating_ them. Just looking at Draco, sometimes I'm drawn back to Malfoy Manor." Hermione looked down at her arm, almost expecting to see cursed marks running down it. "It happens, during wars. We saw so much loss. So many people died. We're not going to let that happen this time." Hermione promised, looking down at her hands that fiddled with the hem of her robe.

"Harry, I even have flashbacks. Sometimes, I flashback to the time you tried to kill me." Draco admitted. Harry shot him a glare and he threw up his hands in surrender. "I'm not blaming you. I would have done the same thing, too. I'm just saying, all three of us went through things no kid should have to go through." He trailed off, looking through blank eyes.

"But we came back. We're better, stronger. We knew this wasn't going to be easy, but we made it this far. We're friends, like we should have been all along." Hermione reminded them. She put her hand out in front of her, palm down and looked expectantly at the two boys with her.

Harry placed his hand on top of hers. "Friends until the end." He added.

Draco looked consideringly at the two in front of him. He sighed, as if he had made a hard decision. He placed his hand on top of the pile. "Friends no matter what. Friends before parents, guardians, or godfathers." Draco smirked as he finished his little spiel, looking knowingly at Harry, who grimaced.

"Did he really have to be your godfather?" Harry mumbled. Draco laughed and shrugged. The three of them looked at their pile of hands and Harry decided. "Friends forever on three." The two others nodded in agreement.

"One, two, three. Friends forever." The three shouted as the lifted their hands from the pile. They jumped up, grabbed their belongings, and headed to Gryffindor tower, feeling considerably lighter than they had when they entered.


	7. Flying Lessons

A/N: Not mine, sadly. The characters and the basic plotline belong to JK. Any similar content to the books can be found in _The Sorcerer's Stone_ p. 145-154.

Flying Lessons

It was a sunny Thursday morning. Harry, Hermione, and Draco went to breakfast. As they sat down at the Gryffindor table, the mail owls swooped in. Harry was curious to see what would happen considering Draco would not take the Remembrall this time around.

A barn owl flew down to Neville and dropped a package in front of him. He eagerly opened it up, and gushed over the trinket. Draco rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"It's a Remembrall." He exclaimed excitedly. "Gran knows I forget things. It tells you…"

"We know what it does, Longbottom." Draco interrupted. Hermione glared at him. He shrugged half-apologetically.

At that moment, Finnegan and Zabini stalked up to the Gryffindor table.

"What you got there, Longbottom?" Finnegan interrogated. Neville flinched as Zabini snatched the trinket and gave it to Finnegan. "Hmm, a Remembrall. Forgotten something, have we?"

"Hey, that's mine!" Neville defended weakly. He tried to grab it back from the boys, but they held it high up in the air.

Draco turned to Hermione and Harry and whispered, "Was I really that important?" Hermione rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"What is going on here?" A silky voice asked. The trio turned to find their potions master standing in front of them, looking between his arrogant Slytherins and the helpless Neville.

"Finnegan and Zabini took Longbottom's present from his grandmother, Professor Snape." Draco complained, hoping he still had some sway with his beloved godfather. Snape turned to his Slytherins.

"You should probably return that back to Mr. Longbottom before Professor McGonagall is called over. You do not want to be in her crosshairs." Professor Snape instructed smoothly. Draco gave him a gracious smile. Professor Snape strode back to the High Table, not looking back at his godson. Finnegan and Zabini gave the trinket back and left.

"That was strange." Harry admitted. Draco smirked. He turned back to his food.

"I'm important." Draco preened quietly. Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes.

Later that afternoon, all the Gryffindors hurried down to their first flying lesson. Harry was excited. He had missed flying so much the past year.

When they arrived, the Slytherins were waiting with Madame Hooch.

"Everyone stand by a broomstick." Madame Hooch commanded. While she waited for everyone to follow her instructions, Ron turned to Harry.

"I'm the best flyer ever, Harry. Just watch. I can show you all the tricks." Ron bragged. Harry had to roll his eyes. Draco snickered in the background.

Madame Hooch instructed them to yell "up" towards their brooms. Harry and Draco watched as Ron struggled to budge the broom. Finally, when they had their fun, they both shrugged and yelled "Up" to their brooms. Both complied immediately.

Ron looked at both of them with awe. "This broom is stubborn." He excused. Draco rolled his eyes and turned away, trying not to fall on the floor laughing.

At last, all the brooms were in the hands of their owners. Madame Hooch took this time to give the next instruction.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground hard. One…two…" Madame Hooch counted. Before she got to three, Neville pushed off the ground before the whistle touched Madame Hooch's lips. As he did before, he ended up crashing and breaking his wrist.

"None of you move while I take this boy to the hospital wing. You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear." Madame Hooch instructed.

Finnegan burst out laughing as soon as they were out of earshot.

"What an oaf." Finnegan laughed. Zabini nodded in agreement. Finnegan went over and picked up a small shiny sphere. "Look, he dropped his Remembrall. We should keep it safe for him. I'll go find a nice tree for it to rest in to keep it from harm." Finnegan jumped on his broomstick and took off.

"Hey! Give that back." Harry demanded. Without thinking, he jumped on his broom and went after them. Draco turned to Hermione. The fear in her eyes was palpable. Without a second thought, Draco jumped on his broom and took off into the sky.

"Harry, we're going to get in trouble." Draco reminded him. Harry looked at him.

"Then why are you up here?" Harry asked. Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Finnegan.

"Give it back, jerk." Draco yelled. Finnegan smirked.

"You know what? I'm feeling nice today. Here." Finnegan dropped the Remembrall. Harry dived after it. He almost smacked into the castle wall, but right before he hit the side of the castle, he grabbed the Remembrall and turned out of his dive.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Finnegan whined. He changed course and began flying at great speed toward Harry.

Harry thought quickly. "Here, Draco, catch!" He commanded. He threw the ball and Draco caught it with ease. Finnegan changed course again and flew toward Draco. Draco caught Harry's eye and threw it back.

At that exact moment, they heard a shrill voice call out, "HARRY POTTER! DRACO MALFOY! Get down here right this instant!" Professor McGonagall demanded. Harry and Draco had the decency to look cowed. "Never in all my time at Hogwarts! How dare you? You might have broken your necks!"

"It wasn't their fault, Professor." Patil started.

"Be quiet, Miss Patil. You two, follow me." Professor McGonagall commanded. Both boys bowed their heads sheepishly and followed the Professor's lead.

"I can't believe you two." Hermione started, once they had gotten back to the common room. Instead of getting punished, like they deserved, they had _both_ gotten onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry was again a Seeker, but Draco was a Chaser. "What I can't believe even more is that Professor McGonagall rewarded you yet again!"

Harry smiled. "Come on, Mione. We both know _I_ needed to be on the Quidditch team, especially this year." Harry stopped for a moment and added, "And next year, as well." He turned to Draco. "Is your delusional elf going to try and kill me again?"

Draco looked at him like he had three heads. "What?"

"Dobby. He tried to kill Harry second year." Hermione explained.

"Well, technically, he only wanted to maim me." Harry corrected. "I ended up freeing him. Your dad's a downright git."

"Wait, that explains why we were down one house elf that summer." Draco stopped and thought for a moment. "Wait, was that the house elf that saved you seventh year?"

"Don't you know your own house elves?" Hermione asked angrily.

"There's so many of them. They're just like a big crowd of little old people with bat ears and big eyes." Draco explained. Hermione stomped away furiously. Harry sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Great, SPEW again." He mumbled. Draco looked thoughtfully at him for a moment.

"Wasn't that what Granger was going on about fourth year?" Draco wondered. Harry threw up a hand to stop him.

"Don't…Start…" Harry warned.

When Harry got his broom from McGonagall, Draco was reminded that he would need his broom from home.

"Well, I can't write father or mother to get it for me." Draco reasoned as they talked over possible ways of obtaining the broom.

"Well, you could always call Dobby to do it." Harry recommended. Hermione huffed but stayed silent.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Do you think he can apparate through the Hogwarts wards?" Draco asked. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I _know_ he can." Harry promised. Hermione snickered at that.

"Dobby." Draco called. Nothing happened.

"Maybe he's busy." Harry suggested.

"No, he should always come when his master calls." Draco explained. He called again. "Dobby."

This time, Dobby showed up, looking shocked. After the shock wore off, he began to punish himself for not coming sooner. Draco stood there doing nothing. Harry looked a little uncomfortable, but remained silent. Finally, Hermione spoke up.

"Aren't you going to do anything to stop him?" She demanded. She looked over at the two boys, huffed, and stomped out of the room.

"Why would I stop him? He was bad. He should have punished himself." Draco said quizzically. Harry looked up shocked.

"Don't say that in front of Hermione. Ever." Harry warned. Draco nodded understandingly.

"What does young master want?" Dobby asked Draco.

"Could you get my broom for me, please?" Draco questioned. Dobby looked at him wide-eyed.

"Of course, young master. Dobby is doing anything young master wants when he says please." Dobby promised. He quickly apparated away.

"What a strange elf." Draco commented. Harry looked at him, shocked. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Harry said nonchalantly.

Right then, Finnegan showed up with Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle. The boys sneered at the Gryffindor duo.

"So, when are they going to have you out of Hogwarts? Did you pack your things already?" Finnegan grilled. Zabini smirked. Harry smiled.

"Yeah. Daddy and Mummy Dear will have even less of a reason to be pleased with the Scion Malfoy. Getting into Gryffindor will be nothing like getting expelled within the first month." Zabini teased. Draco could only smile.

"Actually, we both made it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team thanks to you. Harry's a Seeker, and I'm a Chaser." Draco bragged.

"Well, you might be good in the air, but you'll never make it on the ground." Finnegan taunted. He looked over at Zabini. The boy nodded. "I challenge you to a wizarding duel. Twelve o'clock in the trophy room."

Draco thought back to the first time around. He remembered Zabini suggesting he do this last time. He remembered how he planned on getting Harry in trouble, but this was something he could not pass up-seeing the faces of the Slytherins when they accepted.

"We'll be there." Draco offered. "I'm Harry's second. Who's yours?"

"Goyle." Finnegan answered. "See you at midnight." The four Slytherins left.

"Great. Another best mate accepting things for me." Harry mumbled under his breath. At that time, Hermione came back.

"Accepting what for you?" Hermione questioned. Harry and Draco looked at each other before Draco answered.

"A wizarding duel." He said. Hermione's eyes widened.

"No!" She demanded. Harry looked affronted.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"First of all, it's a trap to get you in trouble. Second of all, it was set up just so we could find Fluffy. Third of all, we already know about Fluffy. We don't need to go!" Hermione shouted. Draco sighed.

"She's right, as always." He conceded. Harry nodded.

"Fine, but can we still set them up for something?" Harry asked.

"Harry, mate, we have all year to set them up for things." Draco replied, scheming.


	8. Talking with Snape

A/N: The characters belong to JK. Just having fun.

Talking with Snape

Harry gulped. He sighed. He tried to gain his courage. He failed. He tried again. _Come on, Harry. You can do this!_ He thought to himself. _It's not that hard. Right foot down, left foot down, just like that_. His little pep talk was not working. He could do this. He could walk down the stairs, turn the corner, walk down the corridor, and knock on the office door of one Professor Severus Snape.

He knew he was being childish. This was childish. He should not still be afraid of the man that risked his life to save the boy he despised. And he wasn't really despised. No, Snape hated who he thought Harry was. Harry was not going to give him this option.

Harry sighed again as he turned the corner and began to stalk down the corridor. He could do this. He could talk to Snape. It wasn't like he was going to taunt the man. No, he was about to talk on his favorite subject…He was going to make this work this time.

Harry situated himself in front of the door to Snape's office. He took a deep breath and held it as he raised his hand to knock on the door. He tapped the door several times. He dropped his hand. Then, he waited. And waited, and waited. As he was about to give up and go back to his dorm, the door opened.

If Harry had not been so scared, he might have thought the scene comical, especially considering the look his professor gave him. Harry never knew Snape could be surprised. Yet, undeniable proof stood in front of him that said otherwise.

"Potter, what are you doing down in the dungeons? Shouldn't you be celebrating your little stunt you pulled during flying lessons?" Snape sneered. Harry breathed deeply. He was going to do this.

"No, sir. I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a minute." Harry countered gently.

"Well, I'm busy. I will always be busy. I will not make time for students as arrogant as you." Snape bit, making to close the door. Harry stopped him.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect. I…I just heard that you knew my mum." Harry looked up hopefully at the older man. He knew he had hooked the potions master, as Snape looked thoughtfully for a moment.

"Your point?" Snape asked uncertainly. Harry swallowed.

"I was wondering if you could tell me something about her." Harry almost whispered. Severus looked up and down the corridor, checking to make sure it was empty. Then, he opened the door wider and ushered Harry in.

"Well, Potter, what is it you want to know? I hardly think that your guardians would neglect telling you about her." Snape said as he sat down at his desk.

"Aunt Petunia doesn't talk about my mum a lot, except to call her a freak." Harry explained meekly. Severus quirked his brow.

"Your aunt will not tell you? Then go to your grandparents, the Evans, they adored Lily and would love to tell you all about her." Snape offered. Harry looked wide eyed.

"Did you know my grandparents?" Harry asked. It seemed like the plot was thickening. Severus didn't know?

"Yes, I am sure that that is how you heard I knew your mother." Severus assumed.

"Actually, I asked Aunt Petunia-once Hagrid told me about the wizarding world-if Mum had any friends. She only knew of you." Harry answered.

"Do you not talk to your grandparents, to not know about the wizarding world? Surely, they would have told you had you only asked." Severus grumbled. The arrogance of the boy, to not even talk to his own grandparents!

"Actually, I never knew my grandparents, sir. They died a month before I was born." Harry responded sadly. That stopped Severus cold. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. He opened his mouth, then closed it once more.

"My condolences. I-I never knew." Severus finally said, stunned.

"It's okay, sir. I know you must be busy, you do so much for us here at Hogwarts." Harry offered, biting his lip. He wanted to burst at the man, scream about how it was unfair that he had these assumptions about Harry. However, Harry really knew it was not this man's fault. In fact, Harry was really angry at Dumbledore. No wonder Severus had thought he was spoiled and arrogant! He thought Harry had been raised by his grandparents, or at least had known them! Harry bit his lip so hard he could taste blood. Dumbledore hadn't just manipulated his life! He had manipulated Professor Snape's, too. Now, Harry's promise to respect the potions master was a lot easier to follow. The man had simply not known!

"What would you like to know, Mr. Potter?" Severus asked the boy, not quite genially.

"What did she like to do in her spare time? What was her favorite class here? What, just what was she like?" Harry breathed. He finally, finally, might get some answers, and he couldn't believe it. He was afraid it would disappear if he uttered a single breath more.

"She…she liked to draw and read. Lily always had her nose in a book. Her favorite class was Charms; she and Flitwick were close. I'm sure he can also give you some decent stories about her. She was genial and loyal. She stood up for her friends and hated bullies…" Snape hesitated. Harry could tell Snape was fighting back to urge to say something along the lines of "like your father". He had to smile at the professor's effort. An awkward silence fell in the room.

"What about my grandparents? Can you tell me something about them, too?" Harry pleaded. Severus looked at him aghast.

"You mean, Petunia never even mentioned them?" Severus gaped. Harry had to bite back a giggle. He had never seen the unflappable Severus Snape wearing his heart on his sleeve like this. He must really have destroyed some preconceived ideas Professor Snape once held.

"No, sir, she didn't. I don't know why. I mean, they were Dudley's grandparents, too. Yet, I don't think he even realizes they existed." Harry answered softly.

"Well, your grandmother, Rose, was just like your mother. She had long red hair and was active. She loved life and was very genial. She loved to bake, and most times, when I came over, I left with a container filled with sweets to take home to my family. She was a housewife, but no one would say she didn't work hard. She kept her house clean and her flowerbeds were pristine." Severus reveled. He watched Harry's eyes shine and a smile played on the corners of his lips. Severus almost found himself enjoying talking to the little brat.

"What about my grandfather?" Harry asked, totally enthralled with the story, now.

"Harold Evans, your namesake? He had the same green eyes you inherited, and his hair was short and brown. He worked at a white-collar job somewhere in business in London. He was a real family man, but he had a special spot for Lily. He was very proud of her. He couldn't believe it when Professor McGonagall came to them and told Lily of her gift. He kept trying to figure out a way around the statute of secrecy so he could tell his golfing friends all about how his Lily was so special she got to go to a magic school. Instead, he told them she was a genius going to a special school made particularly for her, which wasn't too far off. He always told her she could do anything she set her mind to." Severus stopped abruptly and looked down at the young boy. He seemed to be living vicariously through the descriptions his professor was giving him.

Severus had to wonder. _What was Albus thinking?_ Severus thought. _Sending the boy to live with_ Petunia _? That was like sending a lamb to the butcher's!_ Severus could only scoff. Why should he care? He looked into the boy's eyes, so full of hope and gleaming with happiness. Yes, Severus knew he would have to keep an eye on Harry, if only for his vow, if not for Lily's memory.

Harry smiled and looked at his watch. "Thank you so much, Professor Snape! I'm sorry for taking up your time. I greatly appreciate hearing about my mum and grandparents. I know it must be hard. I lost a mother, but you lost a friend." Harry got up from his seat. He waved goodbye to the man. "Goodbye, Professor Snape! See you in potions class!"

Harry walked through the door into the corridor, feeling ten times lighter. That conversation wasn't so hard! What had he been afraid of?


	9. Halloween

A/N: All Characters Belong to JK Rowling and the _Harry Potter_ series

Halloween

The next few weeks at Hogwarts went by fairly quickly. Harry was starting to realize how much he still remembered, since it took himself no time at all to finish his homework each evening. _I could probably ace my OWL's this time_ , he thought. Harry and Draco's first Quidditch practice went without flaw. They were both brilliant at their positions. Finally, Halloween came around, but so did thoughts of Harry's parents.

"You know, I didn't even really know when they died until I saw their Gravestones. I realize so much now. Every year I always celebrated Halloween with so much cheer, not knowing just a decade before, I lost my parents." Harry thought aloud.

"Perhaps it was for the best. Seeing as you were always happy on Halloween. Remember third year when you spent the afternoon with Professor Lupin?" Hermione reminisced.

"Yeah, I suppose it was his way of making sure I wasn't alone. Though he wasn't aware of that I had no clue about their death day." Harry grumbled. Draco sat there quietly, not having anything to add to conversation.

"Well we should head off for charms, we wouldn't want to be late. If I remember from last time we're practicing _Wingardium Leviosa_ again and this is the perfect time to gain back the points we always loose from potions. I know Neville doesn't try it but he really needs to be more careful, especially around Professor Snape." Hermione rambled.

"I never knew you worried so much about house points before, Granger. " Draco drawled.

"I do!" Hermione said quickly, "I am just thinking ahead, if we don't get involved with Norbert again, we actually have a chance of winning the cup without cheating. I'm only worried since we hopefully won't have get points from Dumbledore for bravery again." She explained.

Harry agreed and they walked towards their last class before lunch. As things played out, Hermione found herself correcting Ron again

"Stop right there, Weasley, that's not how you say, you are going to poke someone's eye out. It Win-gar-dium Leviosa, you have to make the 'gar' long."

"if you know everything then why don't you do it!" Ron bit back.

The trio all performed it perfectly.

"Oh! Well done Mr's Potter and Malfoy and Miss Granger, 15 points to Gryffindor" Professor Flitwick cried. Everyone could see Weasley was in a bad mood after that. As they were walking back to Gryffindor tower, Ron was talking to Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas, and the trio overheard a bit of conversation.

"She's such an insufferable know-it-all! She'll always be alone for that. I bet Harry and Malfoy only are around her for pity. She's a disaster honestly, if she wasn't Harry and Malfoy's charity work, she wouldn't have any friends at all." Ron berated

Hermione listened and willed the tears not to come. She noticed they were walking past the second floor girls bathroom and excused herself. She tried not to let it get to her this time but it didn't work. Even though she knew he was evil, or at least was going to be, she also still remembered loving him, as friend and more. While she was gone, Draco stopped and turned to Harry.

"She looked up set, should we go after her?" He asked

Harry looked thoughtful, "Probably not, I mean in times like these she just likes to be alone. Trust me I learned from experience, she wants to be alone. Though I don't really understand why that upset her so much." He explained and whispered, "Ron's evil, why would she care what he thinks." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps because she used to love him. I'm just saying although I've always hated the weasel, doesn't mean you two always have. I'm surprised you wouldn't be more offended. I say if she doesn't come around by dinner, we go look for her." Draco suggested. Harry nodded in agreement.

"I Guess I just know she needs time alone, and that Ron was going to say those things no matter what I did, I don't know why. Anyway we should hurry up, I'm starved!" Harry commented. He also felt like he was forgetting about something, but ignored it and headed with Draco to the Gryffindor tower to place their things before lunch.

Finally, dinner rolled around, and the great feast was about to begin. They still found no sign of Hermione anywhere but that was forgotten and replaced by the excitement of the feast. As they walked in, they stopped in awe of the decorations. The two boys had forgotten how amazing Halloween was at Hogwarts. Harry smiled towards Draco and they rushed to sit down and dive in. Suddenly when Quirrelmort rushed in shouting about a troll in the dungeons, Harry remembered what he had forgotten earlier.

"Uh-oh." Harry said as he recalled where the troll was, and that they were going to look for Hermione before dinner.

"What oh? What is going on?" Draco asked, very confused, also forgetting the situation.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hermione what? She's probably at Gryffindor tower studying something or other." Draco shrugged off

"No she isn't." Harry stated in worry.

"How do you know." Draco questioned.

"Because this is exactly what happened last time. That's why me and Ron ended up fighting the troll." Harry explained

"You mean you did not go looking for it?" Draco wondered

"Of course not! We weren't idiots!" Harry declared. Draco was about to contradict him but Harry interrupted, "Shut up. We never really went looking for danger purposefully, and anyway, we don't have time for this. Hermione's in danger!" Harry shouted as he ran off in the direction of the second-floor girls' bathroom. Draco, somewhat reluctantly, followed him.

True to form, the troll was just about to enter into the girls' bathroom when Harry and Draco arrived. The boys looked at one another and Harry nodded. Both boys ran into the restroom right as they heard a scream come from Hermione.

"She knew this was going to happen. You'd think she wouldn't be surprised." Harry told Draco as they took in the sight. There, huddled in one of the stalls, sat Hermione, fumbling for her wand. Harry jumped on the troll's back and began trying to take it down. Draco, thinking quickly, used the spell they had "learned" earlier that day. He levitated the troll's club and knocked it out. Harry slid off the troll's back just as the professors arrived. For the first time, Harry noted how pleased Dumbledore seemed.

"What were you children thinking?" Snape berated. "Of all the insane things…"

"Professor Snape, I believe these are my charges." Professor McGonagall interrupted. She turned back to the children. "What were you children thinking? Of all the insane things you could have thought up to do on this night, you chose to fight a troll?"

"We didn't choose to fight it. Weasley said something stupid that upset Hermione and she needed some time to be alone. She chose this room. It just so happened that her time in solitary was interrupted by the troll. Harry and I remembered that Hermione had come in here, and so we came to warn her about the troll and get her back to safety. We _thought_ the troll was where it had been sighted and therefore we could make a quick escape back to Gryffindor tower. We were wrong. The implications of this statement can be considered later. The point of the matter is we only came here to get Hermione to safety, not to fight a troll." Draco laid out smoothly. _He would make a great defense lawyer_. Harry thought to himself as he beamed with pride at his best friend.

"Well, if that is the case, I award you twenty points each for sheer dumb luck." Professor McGonagall awarded. "Though I must impress upon you the severity of your actions. You could have been killed."

"Duly noted." Draco agreed. Harry wondered when they had assigned Draco as their spokesperson, and then questioned why they never thought to have a spokesperson before. This was great! They could get out of so much trouble now!

"I now think it is time for three young Gryffindors to go to their common room." Dumbledore suggested. Hermione, Harry, and Draco began to file out.

"Of all the things you could have done, you jumped on his back?" Draco asked. "You do realize you have a wand. You're a wizard, use it!" Draco was about to further his lecture when he heard someone call his name.

"Mr. Malfoy, a moment please." Snape called to him. Harry and Hermione looked apologetically at Draco as they continued on. Hermione began to berate Harry for not letting her handle the troll. After all, she reasoned, she was a fully trained witch. Draco rolled his eyes and turned toward his godfather. Professor Snape led him to an abandoned classroom and let him in. "Mr. Malfoy…" Snape began.

"Oh, is that still my name? I thought father would have disowned me by now." Draco interrupted sarcastically. Professor Snape sneered at Draco and Draco responded. "Sorry, Uncle Sev."

"Draco, what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Severus scolded, arms crossing, brow furrowing in concern.

"An early Christmas present for Mother and Father." Draco mumbled. Severus softened his features and bent down a bit to look into his godson's eyes.

"Draco," Severus sighed. "I know this is difficult. I know that this is a hard time for you. I need you to know that I do not agree with your father's sentiments. The hat clearly wanted you in Gryffindor, so that is where you belong. I do not hold that against you. However, just because you are in Gryffindor does not mean you must lose the Slytherin traits I know you have. It also does not mean you have to place yourself in mortal peril. Try and be more careful." Severus pleaded with his godson. Draco averted his gaze.

"Of course, Uncle Sev. I'm sorry. I was just worried about my friend. She was in danger. I needed to help her." Draco defended. Severus nodded.

"And how could you have done that without placing yourself in danger?" Severus asked. Draco considered this.

"I could have gone to a prefect or staff member and told them of a missing student. Then, I could have gone safely to my common room and let them handle it." The blond boy replied, looking sorrowful.

"That is right, Dragon. You could have told anyone of us. That is what we are here for. Remember that next time." Severus commanded. Draco nodded his head in understanding. Severus looked around. "It is time for you to go back to your common room. If you ever feel you are in danger, Draco, contact me. I am here to help."

"Even though Mother and Father have all but disowned me?" Draco questioned. Severus nodded.

"Especially since I know their affections have changed for you." Severus explained. Draco smiled.

"Okay, Uncle Sev. I'll go up to my common room now." Draco hugged his godfather. Severus resisted at first, but then gave in to an awkward hug. Draco smiled and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Draco?" Severus stopped him. Draco turned and looked expectantly at his godfather. "Remember it is Professor Snape here." Draco smiled, nodded, and left, the cares of his day gone.

When he got to the common room, he was less than shocked to see Hermione still berating Harry. Harry had his nose in a book, completely ignoring the brunette who seemed adamant she could have handled the troll herself. Draco rolled his eyes. _Those two_ , he thought as he headed up to bed.


	10. The First Quidditch Match

A/N: All characters and sports belong to JK Rowling. Seriously, my sister and I are not that creative.

The First Quidditch Match

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table lost in thought. Tomorrow would be the first quidditch match and he didn't know what to do. He thought hard. He knew Hermione would say that they had to follow the timeline. He knew Snape had to save him to further suspicion of Quirrell. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder: why had Dumbledore allowed Quirrell to remain at the school after he nearly caused the death of a student? Harry sighed.

Right then, Draco plopped down next to his friend. He grabbed some food and set it on his plate. He looked over at Harry's plate and then started dishing up some food for his friend, too. Harry came out of his stupor.

"Hey!" Harry protested as Draco continued to pile food onto his plate.

"You're too skinny." Draco complained as he replaced the serving spoon in the mashed potatoes. He looked across the table at Hermione whose nose was currently buried in a book. He cleared his throat and Hermione looked up at her friend. She smiled, nodded her head in agreement with Draco, and quickly went back to reading.

"So, what if I am? You're not my mother." Harry argued as he dug into the food Draco had placed on his plate. "What are you reading, Mione?" Harry asked, changing the topic. Draco scowled at the dark-haired boy before turning to Hermione, waiting for her answer.

"I'm just looking for another way to stop Quirrell tomorrow without using fire." Hermione whispered resolutely as she put her book away. Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"Stop Quirrell from what?" Draco asked, looking from Harry to Hermione and back again. Hermione looked around uneasily. Draco caught the hint. "Not a conversation for here?" Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"How about we head to the come and go room after dinner?" Harry suggested. Draco nodded in acceptance of the plan before turning back to the food in front of him.

At that moment, Ron plopped down in front of Harry. Harry sighed internally and rolled his eyes. Draco smirked.

"Hi, Weasley. What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Draco asked jokingly. Ron sneered at the blond and turned back to Harry.

"Hey Harry, I haven't seen you around a lot." Ron started conversationally.

"Well, I have a lot of schoolwork to do. Add quidditch practice to that, and I barely have time for Draco and Mione here." Harry admitted as he lackadaisically used his spoon to point to Draco and then Hermione.

"We have to spend some time together, soon! Want to go flying tomorrow evening?" Ron asked imploringly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Ronald, Harry will fly during the quidditch match tomorrow. Tomorrow evening Harry has homework." Hermione chastised. Ron waved her off.

"He can do it later," Ron told her, not taking his eyes off Harry.

"I actually do have homework to do, Ron." Harry lied, trying to find some sort of excuse to be far away from Ron. Truth be told, Hermione should be proud of him. He finished his homework for the week earlier this afternoon. He found that it was amazing how much easier the work was when he had done it all once before.

"Well, we'll just have to postpone then." Ron decided. Harry just rolled his eyes. He looked down at his watch.

"Oh, sure. Hey, I've got to get going. See ya!" Harry hurried as he got up and left. Hermione and Draco caught on and followed him to the Room of Requirement.

"So, what's the story with Quirrellmort and fire?" Draco asked, brow quirking.

"Do you remember when Professor Snape caught on fire?" Hermione asked.

"Which time?" Draco replied, smirking. Harry doubled over laughing, remembering a certain potions class, Neville, and a knocked over cauldron. Hermione glared at Harry.

"At the Quidditch match." Hermione clarified.

"Which time?" Draco joked. Hermione glared at Draco. "Oh, you mean the day of spontaneous combustion?" Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, sure, I remember it."

"It wasn't spontaneous combustion." Hermione informed him. "I thought that Professor Snape was cursing Harry's broom, so…I…might have set him on fire."

"Okay so you thought Professor Snape was cursing Harry, and your first thought was, 'Hey, let's set the professor on fire'?" Draco questioned her. Harry nodded.

"Yep, that's our Hermione for you. Always taking one for the team." Harry quipped. That earned a glare from both of his friends.

"Well, this time, can you at least get the right bad guy and not set my godfather on fire?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded and took out her book.

The day of the match came and Harry could hardly stomach food. Hermione said she had a plan of action for today, but she refused to tell him what it was. For all he knew, she was going to use _Sectumsempra_ on the man.

"Ready for the match?" Someone asked behind Harry. He jumped and turned around quickly to find his best friend and teammate standing behind him, grinning.

"Don't do that!" Harry exclaimed.

"What? More Post-Traumatic Stress?" Draco asked, concerned. He had asked Hermione more about it after she suggested it in the Room of Requirement a couple weeks ago. It seemed like some really scary stuff. If Harry had it-if they all had it-they should really think about working through it, together. Harry nodded.

"But not how you think." Harry mumbled. Draco got the gist of what Harry was saying. The Dursleys must have really messed Harry up.

"Good morning, boys." Hermione greeted cheerfully. Harry and Draco grunted in acknowledgement and went back to their food. The only ate a little bit before Wood called them away to get ready for the match.

Draco and Harry got dressed for the match in the locker rooms of the school. Then, Wood began to go over last minute plays. Harry had a thought and turned to whisper to Draco.

"Hey, you know all of Slytherin's plays from next year on. You could be very useful then." Harry reminded him, innocently. Draco looked offended.

"And I'm not useful now?" Draco whispered back. Harry blushed.

"You're useful now." Harry admitted. Draco preened at his best friend's statement. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Got it?" Wood asked, ending his lecture to the beaters. The twin Weasleys nodded.

"Got it!" They affirmed in unison.

"Good. Now, let's get out there and win!" Wood encouraged stereotypically. Harry rolled his eyes again.

They went out onto the pitch and the game started. Nothing differed from the original game, so Harry had a lot of time to sit and wait, anxious for what he knew was about to come. He looked to the stands to see Ron waving eagerly at him. He ignored the redhead and looked for Hermione. She was not there, so he assumed she must already be in place by the teacher's stand. He noted how Professor Snape seemed to be watching him and Draco more often than he was his Slytherins, but he filed that information away for later.

Suddenly, his broom jerked. It began to go wild and he struggled to hold onto the stick without losing his grip. He looked over at the teacher's stand and saw Professor Snape muttering something under his breath. Then, he looked over at Quirrellmort and saw him mouthing something as well. So, it was true! Professor Snape really had tried to save him, and Quirrellmort really tried to kill him. He noted that this was not new information, but it disturbed him still the same.

Hermione was behind the teacher's stand. She waited until she saw Harry's broom begin to move about erratically before she began her plan. She looked for the nearest bludger, which happened to have just been hit by a Slytherin beater. She thought of that bludger in her mind and whispered, " _Accio_."

Harry watched as a Slytherin beater hit the bludger, aiming for him. Imagine his surprise when the bludger went the opposite direction toward Quirrellmort. He had to hold in his laughter as he watched Quirrellmort be knocked out by a stray bludger intended for him. That created a sense of poetic justice for him that he could not even begin to describe.

At that moment, Harry saw the snitch. It was just within his reach. He flew towards it, hand outstretched. Right as he was about to snatch it, the other seeker came out of nowhere and hit him from behind. He opened his mouth in shock and his hands flew down to the broomstick.

The next thing Harry remembered, the snitch was again in his mouth. He spat it out and showed it to everyone. The crowd cheered as Madame Hooch declared Gryffindor the winners. That night, Draco was treated to his first ever Gryffindor victory party. It was everything he imagined it would be.

Meanwhile, Fate and Time were watching on, enjoying their view. Time turned to Fate.

"Why was that so important?" Time asked Fate. Fate just smiled and shrugged.

"I just really enjoy watching Harry catch the snitch in his mouth." Fate explained simply.


	11. Christmas

A/N: All characters belong to JK Rowling.

Christmas

Classes continued. Harry, Draco, and Hermione were acing every subject. Not that it was fair, considering the fact they had already taken all these classes before. Yet, it still made Hermione and Draco feel proud, like they were still accomplishing something important. However, Hermione was still upset.

"I just don't understand why there wouldn't be some new content they taught us." Hermione complained. Harry looked at her, disbelievingly.

"Hermione, we're time travelers. We went back to the past, not the future. So, yes, they are teaching us the exact same content. However, it is not their fault. Get over it." Harry said after she had repeated the statement for the fifth time.

"You could always self-study." Draco suggested. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm already doing that. I've been doing that since _last_ first year." Hermione scoffed. Ron, who was sitting down the way from them turned to the trio.

" _Last_ first year?" Ron repeated, sounding confused.

"Shut up, Weasley. No one invited you into this conversation." Draco covered quickly. The three looked around at the very public common room.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere else." Harry suggested, getting up and pulling Hermione up with him. They all walked down to the Room of Requirement and wished for a comfy living room to sit in. It quickly appeared and all three walked in. The boys quickly screwed their faces into ones of disgust.

"Who thought of this?" Draco asked as he looked around the bright pink colored living room. Harry nodded in agreement. He thought it quite resembled to medicine his aunt usually gave Dudley when his stomach was sick. Draco looked over at Harry, accusingly. Harry looked back, offended.

"Hey, don't look at me! I couldn't think of something this girly!" Harry defended. They both looked over at Hermione, who was dropping gracefully into a big, hot pink, fluffy chair and sighing in delight.

"Oh, that explains a lot." Draco reasoned, rolling his eyes.

"Do you think we could wish for something to sit on that's not as pink?" Harry asked Draco, who shrugged in reply. Harry wished, and suddenly, two beige recliners appeared. They sat down and relaxed, still quite appalled at the pink, but appeased all the same.

"So, what are you going to do for Christmas, Granger?" Draco asked the young girl now cuddled up in her fuzzy chair. She shrugged.

"Go home. See my family. Realize I DON'T have to _Obliviate_ them this time around." Hermione listed blissfully. Draco sat up straight.

"You _Obliviated_ your own parents?" He asked her, surprised Granger had the nerve to do such a thing.

"Yeah, I sent them to Australia to keep them safe." Hermione explained as she played with a little portion of her chair.

"Oh," Draco mumbled. The room went silent.

"So, Harry, do you still think you'll get presents from the Weasleys this year?" Hermione asked, conversationally. Harry shrugged.

"I'm on the team with the twins, and even though I don't like him, Ron likes me. We'll see." Harry decided evenly.

"Won't you get presents from anyone else?" Draco asked, obliviously. Surely, someone as hero worshipped as Harry would get loads of presents

"Well, let's see. There's the family who hates me, the fact that the only friends I have are you two, and I haven't seen any of my parents' friends since I was a baby. Yeah, that makes for loads of presents." Harry replied sarcastically. He sat silent for a minute before adding, "But I will get the invisibility cloak that's rightfully mine."

Draco sat in awe for a moment before hitting Harry upside the head. "So that's how you did everything."

Harry rubbed his head where it had been hit. "Yeah, it's my dad's. Dumbledore has it. Thinking back, the note he gave made it sound like he was doing me a favor by giving me back my dad's things. It was rightfully mine and should have been saved in their vault, not at Dumbledore's disposal." Harry thought aloud. They sat in silence for a while, letting that information sink in.

Finally, Hermione got up from her seat. "Well, boys, we still have two more weeks of classes before Christmas break. Let's go finish strong." Hermione encouraged. She helped each boy out of their recliners and they all headed back to the Gryffindor tower.

Before Hermione left, she gave the boys a chore to do.

"Now, remember Draco and Harry. We need to research how to take the tracers off our wands. Perhaps when you get the invisibility cloak, you can look in the restricted section for a while." Hermione instructed as the boys helped her put her things into a carriage.

"Yes, Mum." Draco joked as he finished lugging her trunk up onto the floor of the carriage.

With that, Hermione was gone and Harry and Draco were left to their own devices.

If it were not for Draco, they would not have gotten any research done. However, the blond kept the boys on track and soon they had several viable options to test once Hermione got back.

On Christmas day, Harry was surprised as always to find presents at the end of his bed. As he unwrapped the usual-invisibility cloak from Dumbledore, _Quidditch through the Ages_ from Hermione, the fivepence from the Dursleys, a Weasley sweater from Molly (with a not so subtle note stating that her Ronniekins helped her make it)-Harry found the unusual package with Draco's name on it. He opened it up to find a copy of _1984_ by George Orwell.

He quirked an eyebrow in confusion. How did Draco know about a muggle book? Better yet, why did he think to give it to Harry? Harry opened the cover and dropped the book like it was hot. Behind the front cover, was a note: _To Severus. I know you loved_ Animal Farm _, so I thought you might like this book, too. Maybe we can read it together and discuss it. Hope you enjoy! Lily_. His mother. His mother had given this book to Professor Snape. He looked over at Draco.

"How…How did you get this?" Harry asked in wonder. Draco smiled sheepishly.

"I remembered how you said Uncle Sev was a friend of your mother. I asked him for something of your mother's and he gave me this." Draco explained. He paused for a moment and added, "Look in there again. I remember Uncle Sev saying something about giving you a trinket, as well."

Harry looked back in the box and his breath caught. Inside was a muggle photograph of a young Lily, sitting on a swing he recognized as the swing where he knew Professor Snape had met Lily. His throat grew tight and his eyes swelled with tears.

"Thank you." He whispered, directing his gratitude toward Draco.

"It was nothing, really. It was mostly Uncle Sev." Draco shrugged off. Harry shook his head.

"But you asked him. This is more than Ron ever did for me. Thank you." Harry repeated.

"Come on!" Harry whispered under the invisibility cloak.

"Where in the world are you taking me, Harry?" Draco asked as he tried to stay under the invisibility cloak.

"Nowhere if we get caught." Harry replied snottily. He finally stopped, and Draco slammed into him.

"Warning would be nice." Draco snapped at him as Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak. "And what happened to come on?"

"We're here." Harry announced triumphantly.

"What joy." Draco drawled as he looked at the dusty room. "Where are we?"

"Some unused classroom, but that's beside the point." Harry waved off as he stood in front of an old mirror. He stayed silent for a few minutes before sighing and turning to Draco. "Your turn."

"My turn for what? Admiring myself for a godforsaken amount of time in front of an old mirror?" Draco sneered.

"I'm not that vain." Harry shot back as he positioned Draco in front of the mirror. "Just look, and tell me what you see."

Draco sighed and decided to indulge Harry his moment of madness. As he looked, however, he began to see himself and Hermione, surrounded by many children. He looked next to himself and saw nothing.

"Well, what do you see?" Harry asked. Draco shrugged.

"Granger and myself with a bunch of kids." Draco replied lackadaisically.

Harry burst out in shock, "That's your greatest desire?" Draco looked appalled.

"No." He claimed. "What do you mean?" Harry pointed to the top of the mirror.

"You read it backwards. _I show not your face, but your heart's desire._ " Harry read to Draco. "Since when do you have a crush on Hermione?" Draco sputtered.

"I…I don't know." Draco finally managed to get out. "I wasn't sure I had one. I mean, yeah, I did. Who didn't? She's the smartest witch of her age. I…thought I was over it, though."

"Well, the mirror says otherwise." Harry countered. Draco tried to change the subject.

"What do you see, Harry?" He asked.

"My parents and Sirius." Harry replied, looking once again in the mirror. "At least I have a chance at having Sirius back." Draco nodded in understanding. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to show you. So, now you know." Harry finished matter-of-factly. Draco nodded. Harry slipped the cloak back over the both of them and they headed off to bed.


	12. Quirellmort

A/N: Not ours, all JK's.

Quirrellmort

When Hermione got back from Christmas break, Draco and Harry presented her with several options to take the tracers off their wands.

"They really should keep this further out of reach." Hermione reflected. Draco considered this for a moment.

"Well, it is part of the seventh-year curriculum. You have to write something about the ministry and one choice is an essay on how the tracers were taken off your wand. It shows some competency in wandlore, I think, as well as magical theory." Draco explained. "Of course, you would have known that if you bothered to come to school seventh-year."

"We were a tad busy searching for horcruxes." Hermione stated snottily.

"Well, you didn't do a very good job since you had one staring you in the face all along." Draco pointed out, motioning toward Harry.

"Hey, that reminds me…" Harry made sure he had both Hermione and Draco's attention before continuing, "GET THIS THING OUT OF ME!" Draco smirked and Hermione stifled a chuckle. Harry smiled. "Glad to be the source of your entertainment, but I'm serious."

"No, you're Harry." Hermione replied. Harry glared at her. Draco quirked his eyebrow and looked confused. Suddenly, he caught on.

"Oh, you mean Black." Draco sighed. Harry and Hermione nodded.

"Perhaps we should wait until an adult is involved." Hermione suggested.

"Are you calling Sirius an adult?" Harry asked.

"With Sirius comes Professor Lupin, who is an adult." Hermione restated.

"Ah, the werewolf." Draco reminisced.

"The best professor we ever had." Harry reminded him.

"What about Professor McGonagall?" Hermione corrected. Harry shook his head.

"She doesn't believe us, remember? We end up risking our necks later this year because she told us that no one was going after the stone." Harry defended.

"Well, Professor Lupin didn't believe you when you said Pettigrew was on the map." Hermione reasoned. Harry sighed.

"Whatever, he was the best Defense professor we had." Harry clarified.

"Agreed." Hermione nodded.

"So, the tracers…" Draco redirected. Hermione looked up.

"Oh, yes, it's very simple. Here, I can do it." Hermione motioned for Draco to give his wand to her. Harry stopped them.

"Won't they notice two tracers are missing?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Who is going to check on this bureaucratic nonsense?" Draco responded as Hermione took the trace off his wand. Then, she used his wand to take the tracer off her wand.

"There. Now use your freedom wisely." Hermione instructed. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Mum." Draco drawled. Hermione glared.

Classes began to speed by and before they knew it, it was exams week. All three of them noted how easy exams were the second time around.

"Everyone will think we're geniuses." Draco joked as they sat under a tree. "Well, I always was a genius. They'll think I rubbed off on you two, now."

"Yeah, right, Malfoy. Tell that to me again when you've defeated Voldemort five times." Harry drawled as he twirled his wand around. "Wait!" Harry dropped his wand. "It's tonight, isn't it?" He looked at Hermione.

"What's tonight?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded.

"It's tonight." She confirmed.

"What's tonight?" Draco repeated. "Guys, you keep acting like I already know what you're thinking. What happened today last time?" Harry and Hermione looked at one another.

"Quirrellmort." They breathed in response. Draco slumped.

"Oh, that thing." Draco sighed, a heaviness overtaking him.

They ran up to McGonagall and warned her that Voldemort would be going after the Philosopher's Stone. As she did the last time, she ignored them and told them it was safe. They then ran into Professor Snape, though his threat seemed a little less scary.

They ran to the third floor corridor, and opened the door. Draco squeaked when he saw Fluffy.

"Come on, you big baby. He's asleep. We've dealt with him when he was awake." Hermione scoffed. Draco shook his head as Hermione dragged him towards the trapdoor.

"Who names that thing Fluffy?" Draco asked, repeating his concern from before the school year began.

"The same man who names his pet dog that could not harm a fly, Fang." Harry replied as he opened the trapdoor and dove in. Draco shrieked as Hermione pushed him down the hole. She finally jumped and shut the door behind her.

None of them struggled to get through the first two challenges.

"Really? How did they expect to keep the Dark Lord at bay when these traps don't even fluster first years?" Draco asked as they reached the chessboard. This time, Harry had Draco be the king, and Draco easily guided them through the game, without needing to sacrifice anyone. Harry had the decency not to mention that Hermione decided to play the queen.

When they got to the potions challenge, they stopped.

"Do you think the potion refills itself? Do you think we could all go through together?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged.

"I mean, I got through after Quirrellmort. That would suggest that the potion refills itself. There's no reason to go back for anyone, so let's try it and see." Harry suggested. He took a drink of the potion and walked through the flames. Moments later, Draco appeared. Finally, Hermione brought up the rear and they all walked towards the Mirror of Erised, where they knew they would come face-to-face with a monster.

"We're actually going to be facing the Dark Lord." Draco realized, suddenly shaking in terror.

"It's fine. We face him, Harry gets the stone, touches Voldemort, and we're out of here." Hermione explained. Draco looked on in sheer terror.

"Touches Voldemort? I didn't know they were that close." Draco queried. Harry made a face.

"Ew, no! He melts when I touch his face. It's my mother's protection, sicko." Harry complained. Draco made a face.

"You still have to touch him." Draco giggled.

"Well, not like that!" Harry whispered loudly.

"What was that?" A voice resounded through the chamber.

"Eep!" Draco squealed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I've been through this. Okay, not this particularly, but I've been through worse." Hermione exhaustingly chastised. Harry put a finger to his lips and the other two fell silent.

"Who goes there?" Quirrell asked, turning around. He saw the three children and smiled maniacally. "Ahh, Harry Potter and friends. How good of you to join us."

Harry looked at his friends and made a split-second decision. He walked up to Quirrell, put one hand on his face, and the other on the back of his head. Quirrell began to scream and buck under the pain and agony he felt, but Harry did not care. Hermione ran out and went to grab the first adult she could find. Draco stood frozen in sheer terror.

Harry was about to pass out from the pain when suddenly, a strong hand pulled him away from the dying man. He had no idea who it was, but he was grateful.

"What are you three idiot Gryffindors doing?" Snape's voice asked. Harry was about to respond when he suddenly passed out.

Harry awoke in the hospital wing to find a slightly aggravated Professor Snape standing at the foot of his bed.

"I received two similar stories as to the happenings down there in the chamber, but I want to hear it one more time from you." Professor Snape demanded. Harry nodded and promptly told him the story from first year. Finally, Professor Snape spoke again. "And how did you get past the potions challenge? That was meant to keep a highly skilled grown wizard out. How did three first year Gryffindors figure it out?"

"Well, we did it…Actually, Hermione did it. She's really smart." Harry explained. Professor Snape nodded. Harry suddenly realized he had never mentioned the Christmas gift to his professor. "By the way, thank you…for the picture. I-I never had a picture of my mum before." Harry admitted truthfully. Professor Snape quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, then, perhaps this might not go amiss." Professor Snape took out a green-bound book and handed it to the small boy in front of him. Harry opened it and almost cried then and there. It was the photo album that Hagrid put together last time around. This time, however, there were a lot more pictures of his mother. Harry was surprised, yet, to see his father and his friends in there, as well. Harry's throat tightened.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, afraid anymore would cause the floodgates to open. He looked at Professor Snape, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Snape nodded his head and walked out of the hospital wing, his duty done. Harry promised himself never to forget this moment.


	13. The Train Ride Home

A/N: Standard author note applies.

Train Ride Home

Harry was released from the hospital wing. Dumbledore had come to try to talk to Harry, but the boy had all but ignored him. Harry wanted nothing to do with the man who was trying to manipulate the boy. Draco and Hermione were waiting for him in the common room.

"Of all the things you could have done, you put your hand on his face?" Draco asked dumbstruck. "Must I repeat myself? You're a wizard, Harry! Use magic!"

"I did. Magic is more than flimsy wand waving, you know." Harry reminded him as he sat down on the couch.

"What happened with getting the stone from the Mirror of Erised?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged.

"Why? Voldemort couldn't get it. Quirrell was dead. What's the point in trying to get the stone out?" Harry reasoned. Hermione made to look like she was going to argue, but then rethought the action. She considered what Harry said and nodded in understanding.

"I guess you're right." Hermione conceded. Draco looked down at his watch.

"Hey, we should get to the feast." Draco suggested. Hermione and Harry looked down at their own watches and gasped. They jumped up and followed Draco down to the feast.

Once they were there, they saw the hall decorated in bright red and gold. Everyone was mumbling about how Dumbledore had just rigged the game so that Gryffindor won.

"But…But that's cheating! We're no better than the Slytherins, then." Hermione complained. Draco shot her a glare. "Oops, sorry." She apologized. Draco shrugged.

"I don't know why this bothers you so much. It didn't seem to last time." Draco reminded her. She sighed.

"I was too excited about winning the house cup to think about it. I considered it over the summer, but at that time who was I to question a professor?" Hermione explained. Harry smiled and slung his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Our little Hermione is growing up. She's questioning authority and everything!" Harry joked. Draco laughed and Hermione glared at her friend.

"So, what happened over the summer? That way, I can be prepared." Draco offered. Harry and Hermione nodded.

"Your insane elf stopped all communication between Ron, Hermione, and me." Harry started.

"He still needs to do that, Harry. For the timeline to remain unaffected." Hermione butted in. Harry nodded and turned thoughtful for a moment.

"Hey, you know, Dobby said he had heard great things about me." Harry teased. Draco's eyes went wide.

"Did he say who told him?" Draco asked, nervously. Harry smirked.

"He might have said a little dragon told him." Harry joked. Hermione punched the boy in his arm. "Hey."

"I'm going to have that elf kill himself." Draco mumbled.

"Draco!" Hermione scolded.

"What? He has to do whatever I tell him to." Draco explained.

"Actually, that's not exactly true. He just will punish himself if he breaks your command." Harry reminded the blond.

"Yes, well he still shouldn't have told you." Draco whined. Harry smirked.

"What did you tell him about me?" Harry asked goadingly.

"Shut up, Potter." Draco retorted. Harry had to hold in a giggle.

Soon, they found themselves on the train home. They claimed a cabin to themselves and dropped into their seats. Draco lazily played with his wand while Harry looked through his beloved photo album. Hermione, as always, had her nose in a book.

"You still haven't told me what all happened second year." Draco reminded him. Harry and Hermione looked up at him.

"Your dad gives Ginny a horcrux. Your house elf tries to maim me. I have to face not only young Voldemort, but a basilisk as well. All this while maintaining my grades and trying not to die." Harry stated matter-of-factly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You left out the part where you and Ron take a _flying car_ to school, almost getting yourselves caught by muggles." Hermione jabbed. Harry sighed.

"Well, if you really want to get into it, we also go to a Death Day party, find out I'm a parseltounge…" Harry paused. "Thanks for that, by the way, Malfoy. Anyway, to wrap it all up, Lockhart wipes his own memory."

"So that's where he went." Draco realized. "Serves him right, the vain idiot."

At that moment, Ron opened the door to the cabin and sat himself down across from Harry, which happened to be right next to Draco. He sneered at the blond but then focused his attention on Harry.

"Hiya, Harry. Busy end of the year, wasn't it?" Ron asked conversationally. Harry shrugged and went back to his photo album, pointedly telling Ron he did not want to have this conversation. "Did you really come face-to-face with You-Know-Who?" Ron continued, imploringly.

"I don't really like to talk about it." Harry replied, not looking up from a picture of his mum and who he assumed to be Professor Snape as a little boy.

"Whatchya got there?" Ron asked, seemingly trying to do anything to get Harry's attention.

"I'm just looking at a picture of my mum and her friend who put this album together for me." Harry explained as he looked up. "I never got to see pictures of my parents before, so I take every opportunity I have to pour over them now."

"Oh," Ron responded in confusion. He did not understand it. Who could be so obsessed with a picture that did not even move? "What are your plans for the summer?" Ron redirected. Harry sighed.

"Just keep busy. I probably will have a bunch of work to do, and I probably won't be able to get most of my homework done at the beginning of the summer." Harry replied nonchalantly. Draco eyed his friend suspiciously. He figured that this might be due to his uncle's "frustration".

"Well, I'll send you a letter so you won't get too bored." Ron promised, completely ignoring what Harry had just said.

"Oh, yippee." Harry intoned, not excited at all for the coming onslaught of letters from the Weasley household.

"Well, we're almost home. Better get back to my cabin before the twins start searching for me." Ron explained as he got up from his spot on the bench. Harry rolled his eyes and nodded in affirmation, telling Ron he had heard and understood what he said.

Once Ron left, Draco turned to Harry.

"Harry, you'll let me know if you are in any kind of danger, right?" Draco asked, concerned. Harry nodded.

"Of course," Harry replied half-heartedly. Like he was going to worry his friend over something so small as his uncle's beatings. He was not in any real danger over the summer. He could handle himself.

"Good," Draco said. However, he decided that if he did not hear from Harry by a certain time, he would go to Harry's house and check on him.

At this point, Hermione looked up from her book.

"Did you say something, Harry?" She wondered obliviously. Harry looked at her incredulously.

"We just had an entire conversation with Ron and you didn't notice it?" Harry asked her. She blushed.

"Sorry, I was just really enthralled by this book. You should read it sometime." Hermione held up a potions book as she talked. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Sure, in all my spare time this summer, I'll read a potions book." Harry drawled. Draco smirked and looked out his window.

 _Yes,_ he thought, _this certainly is going to be an interesting summer._


	14. Summer Rescue

A/N: Not mine. JK's.

Summer Rescue

Harry thought that he should not have been surprised at how the summer played out. He had lived it all once before, why was he shocked at the events that had occurred over the last month? When he got home, his uncle and aunt had acted less than happy about his return and had quickly given him a long list of chores for him to do. His aunt acted very scared of him, which he could not understand because she should have known he could not practice magic over the summer. The law against underage magic had not changed in over a millennium. Did she really think they would change it in twenty years?

However, Harry did not have much time to think about this. He was constantly cooking the meals, gardening, cleaning the house, and ensuring his aunt and uncle never had a reason to be upset with him. The day of the big dinner party came and Harry was unsurprised when he was told to go to his room and act like he did not exist. He thought that he had become pretty good at this over the years and even wondered if he did exist, or if he maybe he got so good he had stopped existing.

When Dobby arrived, Harry did try to shut him up. However, the little house elf could not be persuaded out of trying to "help" the great Harry Potter. When he levitated the dessert over Harry's uncle's guest, Harry cringed. That night was not a pretty one for Harry. He awoke the next day not able to move, and he was almost certain his uncle had broken something.

Harry was surprised, however, when he awoke the evening before his birthday to find a shock of blond hair outside his window. He limped over to the bar-covered windows and struggled to unlock them to allow Draco to open it with his wand. They at least got the window open and Draco began to talk to Harry.

"Wow, you look like you went a few rounds with a hippogriff." Draco commented. Harry frowned. "What happened to you? Your uncle got frustrated again?" Harry scowled.

"What are you doing here?" Harry whispered back.

"I overheard Dobby bragging to the other house elves how he helped the great Harry Potter and I got nervous. Dobby does not know the difference between helping and hurting. Anyway, when I flew to all the windows, I couldn't find you. Why do you have bars over your window?" Draco asked curiously.

"I'm a criminal, apparently. At least, that's what my aunt and uncle say. Didn't you know I'm going to St. Brutus' School for incurably criminal boys?" Harry teased. Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. He pointed his wand at the bars and disintegrated them.

"Where are your things?" Draco asked as he climbed through the window. Harry motioned toward the door.

"They're in the cupboard under the stairs." Harry replied. Draco whispered a quick _Alohomora_ and opened Harry's door. He looked down at near the ground.

"What's with the cat flap?" Draco asked. Harry shrugged.

"How else would they get food to me once every few days?" Harry asked indifferently. Draco scowled. He ran down the stairs and opened the cupboard door. He levitated Harry's trunk and was about to close the door when he noted a paper hanging on the wall. Draco shook with anger as he read, _Harry's Room_.

Draco stomped up the stairs, not afraid of waking anyone up anymore. He barged into Harry's room.

"They kept you in a _cupboard under the stairs_?" Draco spat out furiously. Harry cringed a bit.

"Shhh, do you want to wake up the whole household?" Harry whispered, trying to calm down his friend.

"Let them hear! I want to have a few words with them anyway!" Draco exclaimed loudly.

Right then, they heard a rumbling sound coming from the hallway. Suddenly, the door slammed open and Draco came face-to-face with what he was sure was a purple walrus. He looked over confusedly at Harry, who was pale and shaking.

"Freak! How many times have I told you to be quiet?" The walrus screamed at Harry. Then, the man looked around the room and took in the sight of the bars gone and a blond-haired boy standing next to his most despised nephew. "Who are you?" The walrus whispered dangerously. Draco squared his shoulders and mustered up a very brave and proud look.

"I am heir Malfoy, scion of the great Lord Malfoy. I have power you could only dream of, and I have training you could never imagine. I think _I_ should be the one asking _you_ who you are. Who do you think you are, treating a better as though they were a slave? Harry Potter is the wizard who defeated the Dark Lord. You are only alive by his great mercy…" Draco looked over at the cowering Harry and thought for a moment. "Or maybe his great stupidity. I can't decide which." Draco returned to his rant. "But that doesn't matter. What does matter is this great wizard has allowed you to breathe the same air as he and yet you have the audacity to treat him like some worthless house elf. If it were up to me, he would never return to this house again. As it is, I will do everything in my power to protect the great scion Potter from walruses like you." At this point, Draco shrunk Harry trunk, grabbed Harry, grabbed Hedwig, and hopped onto his broom, motioning for Harry to do the same. "You will not be seeing Harry again if I have any say in it." As he flew off, Draco realized he did not have any say in it. However, he had made an impression and that was what counted. He made sure the shell-shocked Harry had a tight hold of his broom, and accelerated toward Malfoy Manor.

Once they arrived at the Manor, Draco realized he had not thought all this through. How could he ensure Harry's safety for one moment with his mother and father around? He put a still shocked Harry in one of the guest bedrooms and turned out the lights, hoping Harry's state of mind would eventually lead him to nod off so that Draco could put precautions in place.

The only thing Draco could think of was to write to his godfather. He remembered Harry saying once that Severus had charged himself with the protection of Lily's only child. Maybe this counted as a time Harry would need his protection.

Draco sent a quickly written note to his godfather outlining the basic events of the night (excluding the mention of the bars on the window or the cat flap) and then went to bed. His godfather would hopefully be there in the morning and would sort this whole thing out.

The next morning, Draco awoke and laid relaxed for a moment before he remembered the events of the previous night. Then, he took a pillow and forcefully placed it over his face.

"What was I thinking?" Draco mumbled to himself. "Oh, right, I wasn't thinking. Stupid Gryffindor traits bleeding through."

Draco sighed and got out of bed. He walked over to Harry's room and knocked on the door, hoping that Harry had not gone wandering. He said a quick prayer of thanksgiving when Harry opened the door and let him in.

"Draco, last time I was saved, I was taken to a place where I knew no one wanted to _kill_ me." Harry reminded him as they sat down together on the edge of the bed.

"That's why I already have a plan in place." Draco partially lied. The fact that Severus was his only plan remained unsaid.

Harry sighed. "Okay, I'll trust you, but remember, I can't use my wand to defend myself."

At that point, Dobby came in, trying to find Draco to inform him his godfather had arrived. He let out a scared squeal when he saw Harry sitting next to him.

"Mister Harry Potter, sir. You is not supposed to be being here. You is in grave danger." Dobby warned, oblivious to the fact Harry was scowling at him.

"Dobby, why are you here?" Draco asked the scared little house elf.

"Oh, I is giving a message to little master. Mister Severus Snape is being here to talk to young master." Dobby announced. Draco gulped. Harry looked over dubiously at Draco.

" _That's_ your plan?" Harry asked accusingly. Draco shrugged sheepishly.

"It sounded like a good plan at the time." Draco confessed. Harry sighed.

"Come on, let's go see the greasy bat." Harry suggested. Draco glared at him.

"Didn't _he_ give you your beloved photo album?" Draco questioned. Harry blushed and looked down sheepishly.

"Not the first time." He mumbled under his breath. "Besides, he's still greasy." Draco sighed and rolled his eyes as he helped Harry to his feet.

They walked down numerous corridors until they came to the guest living room. Draco stopped Harry for a second.

"Just remember: Uncle Sev will protect you if he must, but it would be best if you keep your mouth shut." Draco warned. Harry nodded and squared his shoulders. Draco opened the door.

The sight they found beyond the doors was almost comical. Professor Snape was glaring at both of them, but Lucius and Narcissa looked completely dumbfounded.

"Draconis Lucius Malfoy. What in the name of Salazar is that _boy_ doing in our house?" Lucius gritted his teeth and snarled. Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I-I-I…" Draco started, but then realized he had no good answer. If he told his parents that Harry's uncle and aunt were abusive, they could use it against the child. They might even sue for custody so that they could have control over the Boy-Who-Lived. However, any other explanation would be scorned and heavily punished.

" _Dumbledore_ told me I had to fetch the boy, for whatever reason he may have. I told Draco I was planning on getting him today, and he must have taken the liberty of doing it for me. Since it was a task that was more pleasurable for him than for me, I must say I thank him." Severus lied flawlessly. Draco smiled in gratitude, but the look on his godfather's face told him that they would be talking about this sometime later. "However, I must take Mister Potter back with me."

Draco frowned. This was not going to end well in his mind, but at least Harry was safer with Severus than he was with the Malfoys or Dursleys. Harry slightly glared at Draco. Draco shrugged and went to grab his things. He handed Harry the shrunken trunk and Hedgwig's cage, as well as his broom.

"At least I know you'll come back to school alive." Draco said weakly. Harry sighed.

"We can hope." Harry rebutted. Draco gave Harry an exasperated look.

"Didn't you tell Mione and me that you had a nice talk with Professor Snape. What happened to that?" Draco asked him knowingly. Sometimes, it was just hard to let go of old grudges.

"Well, he still thinks of me as James Potter. Perhaps I should get my eyes fixed so my glasses aren't hiding them." Harry joked as they walked back to where the Malfoys and Professor Snape were waiting.

"Give him a chance. He did still give you that photo album." Draco reminded him. Harry sighed.

"Yeah, and I do respect him. It's just hard to let go of last time." Harry explained as Draco stopped in front of the door.

"Well, good luck." Draco replied to his friend and opened the door. He nodded his head to Severus' unasked question of whether they had everything.

"Well, we best be leaving. Come along, Mister Potter." Severus implored the boy. Harry nodded obediently and began to follow Professor Snape out.

Before they actually left the house, Severus grabbed Draco's arm. "We will talk about this when you arrive at Hogwarts." He hissed into Draco's ear. Draco nodded in agreement. Boy, did he have a story to tell his uncle!


	15. Living at Spinners End

Living at Spinner's End and Diagon Alley

Professor Snape side-along _Apparated_ Harry to Spinner's End. When they arrived, Harry could hear Professor Snape mumbling under his breath.

"Of all the idiotic, stupid, Gryffindor things he could have done, he chose to save the _great_ Harry Potter." The Professor ranted. Harry just sighed.

"I'm not that great." Harry whispered to himself. He was so busy taking in the sights, he did not notice that the Professor had heard him and stopped in his tracks. He quickly caught himself and began walking to catch up to the young boy who continued toward his house.

"While you are here, there will be a few rules you must follow." Professor Snape started. "First, you will keep your room clean here. Second, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served promptly at 8, 12, and 5, respectively. If you do not arrive on time you will not eat. Third, I will be in my potions lab all day. You will not disturb me unless your life is in mortal peril." Harry nodded in agreement with those terms. Professor Snape showed him to the guest bedroom and Harry placed his trunk, Hedgwig's cage, and his broom next to the bed.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry replied gratefully. He paused for a moment and turned to his professor. "Professor Snape, is this the house you grew up in?"

"Why do you ask, Mister Potter?" Professor Snape replied. Harry shrugged.

"Well, I was just thinking, if this was the place you grew up in, then my mum's childhood home would not be too far away. I thought maybe I could go see it sometime." Harry put forward. Professor Snape stood in the doorway, looking pensively at the boy.

"Perhaps." Professor Snape finally agreed. Harry smiled. Professor Snape then resized his trunk and turned to leave.

Professor Snape walked out of the room and down into his potions lab. Harry took out his prized photo album and continued looking at the pictures. He stopped at one of Sirius, James, and Remus.

"Soon, Sirius. Soon." Harry promised.

The next weeks went by uneventfully. Professor Snape did not have any real reason to complain, as Harry did exactly what he was told. His room was impeccably clean, he always arrived to meals on time, and he always remained very quiet. Of course, the Professor never thought that these could be manifestations of abuse showing through, so of course he had no reasons to believe that Harry might have been abused.

The time came for Harry to go to Diagon Alley to get his school books and supplies. Professor Snape adamantly refused to let Harry go alone, and Harry could not tell if he was grateful or exasperated. _Why in the world would Professor Snape_ want _to go shopping with me?_ Harry wondered as they _Apparated_ to the Leaky Cauldron.

They first went to Gringrotts. Harry grabbed a huge pile of money. He noted that someone should have told him that this was just his trust fund vault. Had no one really thought to tell him that his father-as Lord Potter-had at least two more vaults in his name waiting for when Harry became of age? He was glad that he had been informed thusly last time when he turned 17.

He came back out and met with Professor Snape. The Professor then took the boy to the Apothecary, where they spent time getting what Harry needed for potions. Harry was slightly bemused by the fact that he noticed Professor Snape slipping things into his cart, as well.

"Why would I need that, Professor?" Harry asked cautiously.

"It may or may not be the secret ingredient in one of your potions that will help you get a better grade." Professor Snape hinted. Harry had to smirk. Truth be told, he could enjoy potions this time around, without someone breathing down his neck. He even managed to keep an O in potions all last year.

For the first time, Harry realized that there were many options open to him other than becoming an auror. For example, he could become a potions professor, or a DADA teacher, like Remus. Harry pondered further on this. He was so engrossed in his thoughts he did not see himself bumping into someone on the street. He regretted it as soon as he realized what he had done.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed in greeting. "How are you? Did you get my letters? I never got a reply."

"Um, a house elf was stealing my mail. I didn't get any mail. Draco had to come and get me." Harry explained, faking a mournful look. He would have continued but at that point Professor Snape arrived behind him. Ron gave him a look of pure terror.

"Mate," He whispered as quietly as possible. "The slimy git we have as a teacher is right behind you. Don't look now." Harry rolled his eyes.

"He's not a git." Harry defended loud enough that Professor Snape heard him and was mildly surprised.

"Who's not a git?" Professor Snape asked, weeding his way into the conversation. Ron gulped.

"I…I think I hear my mum calling me, Harry. I'll see you on the train. Bye!" Ron almost ran away, he fled so quickly.

"It's nothing, sir." Harry responded to Professor Snape. "Ron's just being a prat, as always." That sentence brought to mind fourth year, when Ron had turned his back to Harry. He sighed.

"Harry!" A voice called out from the crowd. Before Harry knew what was going on, he had a mouthful of bushy hair and a Hermione clinging around his neck. He hugged her back.

"Hi Hermione." Harry greeted.

"How was your summer? Did Ron come and save you again this year?" Hermione asked him. Harry shook his head.

"Thankfully, no." Harry started. It was then Hermione saw Professor Snape standing next to Harry.

"I am going to the Leaky Cauldron. Find me when you are done, Mister Potter." Professor Snape instructed. Harry nodded his head in understanding.

"Harry, did Professor Snape save you?" Hermione asked. Harry considered this.

"In a way, yes, but no. Draco came to save me from the Dursleys. Snape came to save me from the Malfoys." Harry explained as they walked toward Flourish and Blott's. As soon as they entered, Harry sighed. He had forgotten that this was the day Professor Lockhart would be at the bookstore for his book signing. He looked up and imagined Fate and Time looking back at him. "Was this _really_ necessary?" He questioned irately.

"Come on. Let's hurry up and leave before…" Hermione started.

"Harry Potter." Lockhart cried in recognition. Harry flinched and gave Hermione a silent call for help. She shrugged and mouthed, "Sorry." She then pushed Harry toward the man still calling his name.

Harry really could have done without the speech, the books, and the picture, but he was grateful to get out of the crowd of mad women. Thankfully, as soon as he was out of the crowd of Lockhart fans, he saw Draco.

"Hey Draco!" Harry greeted. Draco smiled.

"Hey Scarhead." Draco teased as they gave each other a manly hug. Once they broke apart, Hermione flung herself on Draco. Draco looked shocked for a moment, but then eased into the hug. Harry-for his part-only smirked and looked on.

It was then that he noted Lucius Malfoy talking with the Weasleys. He walked over, questioning whether or not he should get involved, when Lucius called on him.

"Ahh, Mister Potter, the celebrity. Enjoy your five minutes of fame over there?" Lucius asked menacingly. Harry just held his ground and refused to avert his eyes.

"Hey! You have no right to say that to him!" Ginny defended. Harry and Draco were both plenty surprised that the youngest Weasley had the nerve to stand up to Lucius Malfoy.

"Gryffindor in the making, aren't you?" Lucius asked her. "Draco, come. We are leaving."

Harry looked apologetically at Draco. The boy shrugged.

"I'll see you on the train, Harry." Draco promised. Harry nodded. Then, the Malfoys left.

"Oh, Harry. I hear my parents calling for me. I better go, too. See you on the train." Hermione said as she turned and left.

At this moment, Harry realized he had yet to say anything to the Weasleys. He turned to Ginny.

"Thank you for defending me. Ginny, was it?" Harry asked knowingly. Ginny smiled wide, blushed and nodded her head exuberantly.

"I better get going myself." Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley. "By the way, thank you for the Christmas present. I'm sorry I did not get around to thanking you before. Things just got so busy, it must have slipped my mind." Harry apologized. Mrs. Weasley nodded in understanding.

"It's alright, Harry Dear. Ron told me about the exciting time you all had. I really appreciate you taking our little Ronnie under your wing." Mrs. Weasley gushed. Harry looked surprised but recovered quickly.

"Of course," Harry lied. He looked down at his watch. "I better go. My guardian will be looking for me soon." The Weasleys said their goodbyes and Harry ran off toward the Leaky Cauldron. He really could not wait until he was back at Hogwarts with his friends, and Ronald, apparently.


	16. The Barrier Is Closed

A/N: Same as before.

The Barrier is Closed

The last few days before school were fairly uneventful. Severus took Harry back to Malfoy Manor the day after the Diagon Alley trip, due to the fact he had to be at the school to set up his classroom for the year. He warned the Malfoys that he expected to see Harry alive and unharmed when he got back to the school. He claimed that it was because Dumbledore would kill him if the Boy-Who-Lived was harmed, but Harry knew better.

Draco and Harry prepared for the new school year by finishing the last few notes on their homework. Harry actually had finished his homework at Professor Snape's house, but he wanted Draco's opinion on his potions essay.

"You might want to add a note about changing stirring patterns here." Draco pointed with a feather quill to his mouth. Draco then showed him the DADA essay he was writing.

"You should add something about the side effects of _Rictumsempra_ here. I mean, it's fine to use it in an attack, but you should mention any extra consequences of the long-term use of the spell." Harry suggested. "I'm not sure why you're fretting about DADA this year. Lockhart won't care much about your essay. Just remember his favorite color is lilac and you'll do fine." Harry teased. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Going to school is about more than just getting grades, Harry. School is where you learn how to learn for the rest of your life. You need to do your best on all your assignments, no matter who the teacher is or what they want. Put your best effort out, and then the teacher will have no leg to stand on when you go to the headmaster about your unfair grade." Draco lectured.

"Did you go to the headmaster about your unfair grades?" Harry asked.

"Once or twice. It wasn't fair Granger was getting better grades than me." Draco whined as he looked back down at his essay. Harry giggled and rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps she's smarter than you. Maybe that's why you like her." Harry suggested. He thought for a moment. "Your kids won't have a chance at slacking off in school."

"Please, she is not smarter than me. Okay, she is smart, really smart. Perhaps we are at the same level." Draco reflected as he finished up. He shoved Harry. "And don't talk about our children."

"So, you admit there will be children?" Harry teased.

"Shut up, scarhead." Draco shot back.

"Whatever you say, Ferretface." Harry retaliated. They both smirked and finished their assignments.

The next day, Lucius Malfoy brought Harry and Draco to the entrance of King's Cross. He promptly left after telling Draco not to embarrass the Malfoy name any further. As soon as he was out of earshot, Draco started mocking his father.

"Don't embarrass the family name, Draco. I mean, I did when I admitted to being _Imperiused_ in court. My father did when he entrusted his family to the Dark Lord. But you, Draco, _you_ must be perfect." Draco ranted mercilessly. Harry sighed.

Before they had a chance to enter the barrier, they saw the Weasleys come running up to them. They all seemed out of breath when they got there.

"Did we make it?" Percy asked his father. His father nodded.

"I think so." Mr. Weasley replied. He turned to Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. "How about you two go first?" Mr. Weasley suggested. Harry and Draco moved out of the way and politely let Mrs. Weasley and Ginny through. After them, Percy took Fred and got him through the barrier. Mr. Weasley grabbed George and ran through the barrier. Harry noted how they forgot about Ron.

"Shall we go in?" Harry suggested to Ron and Draco. Both nodded and Harry motioned for Ron to go first. Ron took a few steps back and then ran into the barrier. However, he bounced right back onto his bum.

"Huh, that's weird." Draco stated. Harry just sighed.

"Dobby." Harry huffed under his breath. Draco caught him.

"You mean, Dobby did this?" Draco whispered. Harry nodded. "Then, maybe we should call him and have him take this off."

"I don't have time to argue with a delusional house elf." Harry hissed in Draco's ear. Meanwhile, Ron was trying to get some part of him to go through the barrier.

"It's closed." Ron announced obviously.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Harry muttered. Draco snickered.

"What should we do?" Draco asked, looking to Harry. The brunette had done this before. He would know what to do.

"We could take my dad's car. It flies." Ron bragged proudly.

"No!" Harry shouted quickly. Both Draco and Ron looked at him in surprise.

"I know it's a bad idea, Harry, but you don't have to negate it so enthusiastically." Draco almost scolded.

"Thanks a lot, Malfoy." Ron said sarcastically.

"It is dumb idea, Weasley. What if we get caught by muggles? What if we crash and die?" Draco argued. Weasley huffed.

"Well, _I'm_ gonna take my dad's car. I don't know what _you two_ are going to do. Although, Harry, you're always welcome to come along." Ron offered. Harry shook his head.

"No, thank you. Draco and I will find our own way there." Harry promised. Draco looked relieved. He was sure whatever plan Harry had would be better than driving a flying car.

Once Ron left, Harry turned to Draco.

"The Knight Bus?" Harry suggested.

"The Knight Bus?" Draco asked incredulously. He was wrong. The flying car was a better idea.

Harry called the Knight Bus. It quickly arrived and they took two spots on the first level. When asked for their names, Harry told them that they were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The young lady conducting was a lot nicer than Stan (and a lot more gullible) and quickly they were on their way.

Harry and Draco were just settling in when Harry heard someone call out. "Harry?" The voice asked. He turned around to see Remus Lupin staring at him only a seat or two away. The man had bags under his eyes and seemed a little out of it, but it was the best sight in the world to Harry.

"Remus!" Harry shouted in surprise, moving to go hug the man. Remus looked at him confused.

"You…You remember me? You were barely a year old." Remus remembered in shock. Harry shook his head.

"I…I saw a…a picture of you and…and my father in a photo album one of my…m-mom's friends…uh, made for me." Harry lied. Draco facepalmed. He would need to teach Harry how to lie.

"Oh, you mean Severus Snape?" Remus asked conversationally. "He asked me for a couple of photos of James. I was kind of confused, but then he said it was for you. I, of course, gave him the photos willingly." He paused for a moment. "Shouldn't you be on the train to Hogwarts?"

Harry froze. Draco muttered, "We should be." Draco then took a step back. "Hi, I'm Draco…uh, Draco Malfoy."

"As in Lucius Malfoy?" Remus asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Draco was sorted into Gryffindor and is one of my best friends." Harry explained. Remus nodded knowingly. It was Sirius all over again.

"How are you, Harry?" Remus asked him, switching gears. "There have been so many times I went to the Headmaster asking where you were so I could check in on you. He always said you were fine."

"You went to Dumbledore to check on me?" Harry asked incredulously. How had he never known that before?

"Yes, every year, on your birthday." Remus told him. Harry averted his eyes and played with his hands.

"Oh, I never knew, sir." Harry whispered. Remus smiled.

"There's no need to call me _sir_ , Harry. I'm not your professor." Remus joked. Draco bit his lip hard to keep from laughing. "So, what are you doing on the Knight Bus instead of on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Someone accidently closed the barrier before all of us kids were on the train. One of the three of us decided to take a flying car to school. We chose the Knight Bus." Draco explained, though he huffed a little under his breath at the last part.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked. Remus looked around suspiciously.

"I've been called to the ministry for something." He told them. Harry made a face but nodded in understanding.

"Why did you take the Knight Bus, then? You're a fully trained wizard. You could have just _Apparated_ yourself to the ministry." Draco reasoned.

"I like the Knight Bus. You get to see a lot more scenery." Remus lied. Harry elbowed Draco in the ribs for being so insensitive. Harry thought it must be close to a full moon, since Remus looked so tired. "I know you must have heard this a million times, but you do look like James." Remus told him. Harry nodded.

"With my mother's eyes?" Harry added. Remus nodded back.

The Knight Bus stopped and Remus stood up.

"Well, this is my stop. Perhaps you wouldn't mind me writing to you, Harry?" Remus asked.

"Of course." Harry replied, smiling.

"Goodbye, Harry. Draco." Remus said as he turned to get off the bus.

Harry was still smiling as the Knight Bus began again. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.


	17. Second Year Sorting

A/N: Don't own it.

The Sorting

Eventually, the Knight Bus arrived at their stop. They grabbed Hedgwig's cage and their brooms before they filed out into Hogsmeade. They started walking up towards Hogwarts, noticing they were very early.

They got into the Great Hall and took a rest. It was, after all, a long trek from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. They were surprised to see Professor Snape come bounding through the doors, stalking right towards them.

"How, might I ask, did the two of you manage to get here two hours early?" Professor Snape interrogated. Harry scrunched his nose in worry and Draco had to avert his eyes. Draco had to look for the Gryffindor courage he was sure must be buried there somewhere before he answered.

"Dobby, for some reason, thought it would be hilarious to close the barrier to the King's Cross station. Weasley, Harry, and I were stuck on the muggle side of the station and could not make it to the train on time. Weasley had the bright idea to take his father's flying car. He should be here before the end of the year, if he does not get lost. Harry and I-on the other hand-took the Knight Bus." Draco informed his godfather. Severus scowled.

"You went on the Knight Bus by yourselves?" Severus snarled. "Do you realize how dangerous that is?"

"Well, technically, Remus was there for a time." Harry piped in. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Of course, Lupin. Why am I not surprised?" Severus muttered. He sighed. "Well, you best get along to Gryffindor Tower to unpack your things. You will still be expected to arrive at the feast in a timely manner." Harry and Draco nodded, grabbed their things, and went to the tower.

As they began to unpack, Harry's eyes widened in realization.

"Hey, this will be the year Luna arrives at Hogwarts." Harry told Draco. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Do you mean Loony Lovegood?" Draco clarified. Harry scowled at him.

"Don't call her that! She's a nice person, and a good friend!" Harry defended. Draco sighed.

"I guess." Draco shrugged off as he finished putting away his things. He looked at his watch. It was about time for them to get to the feast. "Come on, Hermione will be here soon. We have to fill her in on what happened."

They scampered down to the Great Hall just as the doors opened and a great many students rushed in. They skimmed the crowd until they saw Hermione's unmistakable bushy hair. When she caught sight of them, she stomped over.

"What did you think you were doing? I was worried sick! I didn't know where you were or if you had gone with Ron in the deathtrap of a car!" Hermione began to rant. Draco stopped her.

"Maybe we need an easier way to communicate with you other than owls." Draco suggested. Hermione huffed.

"That would be great. It would have solved the problem of me not knowing what happened during the summer." Hermione thought for a moment. "What we need is a telephone."

"What's a felly-tone?" Draco asked sincerely. Harry stifled a giggle.

"A _telephone_ is a thing muggles use for instant communication." Harry explained slowly, as if he were talking to a three-year-old. Draco's eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock.

"They can actually do that?" Draco asked, astonished. Harry and Hermione nodded in unison.

"Hermione, you already made something like that in fifth year, remember?" Harry asked her. She stood there for a moment, thinking, until she remembered the DA.

"You mean, the galleons?" Hermione clarified. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, except, not as easy to lose." Harry added. Hermione thought for another moment.

"Like, a galleon tied to your wrist?" Hermione modified.

"Way to think outside of yet completely squished against the box, Granger." Draco teased as he sat down at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione huffed. "But it still needs to be different than the DA coins. Those only told people the dates and times of the club meetings. These would need to act like walkie-talkies." Hermione thought aloud. Harry made a sweeping motion with his hand.

"There, there's your project this year. I mean, since we don't have to go wandering around the library looking for a beast that can petrify people." Harry pointed out. Hermione smiled.

"Yes, and this time we don't have to steal from Professor Snape to make Polyjuice." Hermione rejoiced. Draco looked at them confused.

"When did the two of you make Polyjuice?" Draco asked, curious. Harry and Hermione shared a look.

"Remember the time Crabbe and Goyle were acting really strange on Christmas?" Harry asked in reply. Draco's eyes widened in realization.

"That was YOU?" Draco almost shouted. "I always thought they were acting weird because they ate too much. Which, now that I think about it, doesn't make sense since they are a pair of bottomless empty pits." Draco muttered under his breath. Harry was about to say more when Hermione shushed them.

"The sorting is about to begin." She informed her friends.

"Oh, good! We'll actually get to see Luna's sorting this time around!" Harry rejoiced. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Luna this, Luna that. Everything's about Luna. What's that all about?" Draco asked Hermione. She snickered.

"He's had a huge crush on her since fifth year." She teased. Harry looked indignant.

"I do not." Harry argued, oblivious to his actual feelings. Hermione mouthed, "Do too" over his head toward Draco, who then snickered.

Once the sorting was complete and Luna, Colin, and Ginny had all been placed in their houses (Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Gryffindor respectively), the feast began.

"We should invite Luna into our group." Harry suggested in-between mouthfuls of food. Draco considered this.

"And what? Tell her we're time travelers?" Draco joked. Harry looked thoughtful. Draco cocked his head when he realized Harry was actually considering it. "No, Harry."

"Why not? She'll believe us. I'll be surprised if she didn't somehow already know. She has a weird, uncanny ability for that sort of thing." Harry argued. "Besides, no one would believe her if she told them the truth."

"Yes, but it's not necessary she knows. You just want to tell her because you want to date her." Draco retorted. Harry huffed.

"I do not have a crush on Luna, Draco. I want to tell her because she will be important to us in the future. She's a brilliant witch, if not a little loopy. We need her." Harry emphasized.

"Maybe, but that does not mean we need to talk to her about it right now." Hermione put in, trying to defuse the situation. "I think we should take at least a few weeks and think about it. I agree she is a brilliant witch and she will be important to us in the future. However, we cannot make decisions based off of impulses. We did that last time and look where it got us." Hermione pointed out. Harry and Draco both sighed, but agreed.

"That doesn't mean I can't befriend her." Harry huffed. Hermione shrugged.

"Of course not. Go befriend her. She was picked on a lot until she became our friend. Maybe she'll have a better experience if she's close friends with the great Harry Potter." Hermione agreed. Harry looked mollified at this and turned to finish his food.

After dinner, Harry, Draco, and Hermione went back to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione began her research on communicators and Harry read over his potions essay one more time. Draco decided to play around with his wand a little bit.

Suddenly, they heard a great crash. Everyone in the common room jumped to their feet and ran toward the window, searching for whatever had made that great sound. Harry and Hermione looked at one another, realizing what they had just heard. Harry decided he wanted to sneak out and see Professor Snape ream Ron out for flying a muggle contraption throughout muggle London. He grabbed his invisibility cloak and quickly made for the Great Hall and the Front Entrance.

Harry arrived just in time to hear Snape continue on his rant.

"Of all the stupid, ignorant, Gryffindor things you could have done, you took a flying car and drove it all throughout muggle London?" Professor Snape began. Ron flinched with every word uttered from the professor's mouth.

"But the barrier was closed!" Ron defended. "How was I supposed to get here without taking my dad's car?"

"That, Mr. Weasley, is exactly the question you will be answering in essays for the next few weeks you have detention with me." Professor Snape almost purred. Ron moaned.

"But you're not my head of house." Ron pointed out disrespectfully.

"You're right, but I agree with Professor Snape. You will be spending the next three weeks in nightly detention with your potions professor answering the question, 'What could I have done other than steal my father's flying muggle car and drive it all the way to Hogwarts?' If you finish that five foot scroll early, I am sure Professor Snape would gladly give you some other tasks for you to complete, as well." Professor McGonagall explained. Ron was about to put up more of a fight when he saw the serious look in his professors' eyes. He nodded his head in understanding, slumped his shoulders, and walked off toward Hogwarts and his common room. Harry had to smile. At least he was not stuck with Professor Lockhart this time around.


	18. A Talk with Uncle Sev

A/N: Not mine. All JK's. My sister, marauderfascination, and I finished second year. So, to celebrate, we're uploading all of it today (as long as my internet connection holds). You're welcome!

A Talk with Uncle Sev

The next morning, the Golden Trio made their way to breakfast. They made it just in time to hear Mrs. Weasley's howler. Everyone had a laugh at Ron's expense. No one was having as good a laugh as Draco was, considering he had told Weasley that taking the car was a bad idea. However, that good mood vanished as he received his own letter from the owl he recognized as his godfather's.

 _Draco,_

 _Come to my office after class. We have a long overdue conversation that must take place._

 _Severus_

If the situation were not so grave, Draco might have laughed at the stereotypical brevity of his godfather's note. Yet, he knew that he would have to decide soon whether or not to betray Harry's trust. Harry was his friend, and had asked him not to tell his godfather the truth. Although, at the same time, it was in Harry's best interest that he _go_ to his beloved godfather and tell him about Harry's uncle, and the lack of food, and the cat flap, all of it.

He was still deciding when he arrived at his godfather's office and was about to knock. Was it really betraying Harry's trust to do what was in his best interest? Draco decided he would tell Severus the truth as he knocked on the door and heard his godfather intone, "Enter."

Draco gulped. He actually did not know if he would get a word in edgewise. This seemed like the beginning of a lecture, not a conversation. Draco walked over to his godfather's desk and sat down in the chair directly in front of it. Severus was standing across from the boy, staring blankly at him.

"What were you thinking?" Severus asked Draco, eyes narrowing. Draco scrunched his nose and averted his eyes.

"Which time?" Draco asked, thinking over the various things he had done since the last time he had talked with Uncle Sev. Severus sighed.

"The time you decided to kidnap Mister Potter and take him to your home, where your Death Eater parents live." Severus clarified. Draco worried his bottom lip.

"Uncle Sev," Draco started. "If I told you I thought someone was being abused, would you be able to do anything? Would you believe me?"

Severus was taken aback. What could this possibly have to do with why he had taken Harry Potter from his home? He thought for a moment.

"It would depend on the situation and what you consider abuse. If his parents verbally abused him, there would not be much we could do. If they abused him physically, I would have to report what you told me to Dumbledore. He would take it from there, usually. The ministry would be contacted and the child most likely taken from their home." Severus explained.

"What if I know Dumbledore won't do anything for the student?" Draco implored. Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"He has to. It's the law." Severus contradicted.

"I think he has ignored the problem for years." Draco butted in. Harry had told him once last year that the squib, Arabella Figg, had watched over the Dursley situation for years, had been in close contact with Harry, but nothing ever came of it.

"What makes you think that?" Severus pushed. He was becoming concerned. Who could Draco possibly think was abused that Dumbledore would ignore? Draco took a deep breath.

"I know for a fact that Harry Potter is abused." Draco admitted quickly.

"What would possibly make you think that?" Severus asked him, incredulously. He was about to say there was no way Harry Potter could be abused, when he remembered Harry admitting to living with Petunia. But Petunia would not stoop so low as to abuse her own nephew, would she?

"He used to live in a cupboard under the Dursleys' stairs. I saw it for myself. There was a little, childlike drawing that announced it as such. The handwriting suggested Harry was no more than five years old. They had four bedrooms upstairs that I saw when I went to get Harry." Draco paused for a moment. "That's another thing. When I came to get Harry, he was limping and had bruises all over his face. I had to get the house elves to fix him up right." That was a lie. Draco had done it himself before going to bed that night.

"He could have had a run in with the stairs or a door." Severus suggested lamely. This did not sound good for Lily's son.

"When we met at Madame Malkins, she took off Harry's shirt. He was covered in scars and bruises-old and new. If you look closely at his right hand, there are a few fingers that look broken and healed improperly. When I asked him about it, he told me his uncle got frustrated." Draco added. Severus motioned for him to continue. "During the summer, I wrote to Harry and he told me not to worry if he ended up getting back to me a little late. He told me his uncle got frustrated when his dinner was late or the house wasn't clean. He's treated as a house elf."

"And how do you know he didn't make up those things as excuses?" Severus implored. Draco bit his lip in thought.

"Tell me, when he stayed at your house, was there ever a mess?" Draco interrogated. Severus considered this for a moment.

"No, he kept his room very clean." Severus thought very hard for a moment. "In fact, I always came back from my potions lab to find the dishes done, and Mister Potter always took his plate to the sink and washed it before putting it away." Draco nodded. "He was also very quiet. A lot quieter than I thought a twelve-year-old boy could possibly be, especially considering who his father was."

"When I came to rescue Harry, his uncle stormed in, calling him a freak and asking him how many times he had told him to be quiet." Draco added in.

"He also eagerly arrived before every meal time. I thought he was just prompt." Severus admitted. Draco nodded.

"When I arrived, he had bars over his windows. I had to call Dobby in to disintegrate them." Draco started.

"That could have been to protect against burglars." Severus interrupted.

"On only Harry's window? Inside the house, not on the outside? He also had a door with seven locks on it, all locking from the outside. At the bottom of the door, there was a cat flap. When I asked about it, he told me that they had to feed him without touching him. He told me it was every couple of days they fed him. I also noticed at Madame Malkins how skinny Harry was. You could see every rib protruding from his side. They starve him." Draco countered. Severus sighed.

"Why do you think Professor Dumbledore will not do anything for his Golden Boy when he finds out about the abuse?" Severus asked, not doubting anymore that Harry was abused. His godson could ferret out a lie in a second. He always saw straight through it.

"He's had a squib spying on the Dursleys for years, an Arabella Figg?" Draco paused to ensure that was the right name. When he saw Severus' eyes widen in surprise, he figured he must be right. "Do you know her?"

"She was a spy for Dumbledore during the war. She kept a look out for any suspicious activity in the muggle world. She's extremely observant." Severus muttered, more to himself than to Draco.

"And when we saw Mr. Lupin, he said that he went to Professor Dumbledore every year on Harry's birthday to ask for the Dursleys' address, to see if Harry was alright. He told us Professor Dumbledore always told him that everything was fine, that Harry was perfectly fine, and he should have nothing to worry about." Draco added that little embellishment. It was the gist of what he caught the werewolf trying to say.

Severus rubbed his head and sighed. "Is there anything else?" Draco bit his lip and finally addressed the part that he must admit very delicately to avoid being found out as a time traveler.

"I think Dumbledore wants Harry abused." Draco admitted. Severus' head shot up.

"That's a serious accusation, Draco." Severus scolded. Draco took a deep breath and continued.

"All of last year, what happened at the end, Harry didn't want to do it." Draco started. He had to pull everything he gathered from Harry and Hermione's description of the events. "Dumbledore sent Hagrid- _Hagrid_ -to take Harry to Diagon Alley after he sent thousands of letters to the Dursley household. The previous letters all were unanswered, as Harry admitted his uncle and aunt burned them all and did everything in their power to keep Harry from getting his Hogwarts letter. Isn't it Professor McGonagall's job to contact muggle-raised children to inform them of Hogwarts?" Draco asked.

Severus had to sit down at this point. He leaned back in his chair taking all this in. "Continue." Severus commanded his godson.

"He also charged Hagrid with grabbing the Philosopher's stone, at the same time he took Harry to the Alley to get his supplies. That meant Hagrid-who isn't the best secret keeper, if we are being truthful, had to take a curious eleven-year-old to grab the stone. What did he think was going to happen?" Draco asked rhetorically. "Also, how did he not know that Quirrell was a host of the Dark Lord? The man fought against him for years, knew Quirrell for years, and didn't notice something different? Besides all that, when you all came to scold us for the troll, Dumbledore looked happy-not concerned, not even proud-just happy. His eyes were twinkling. In addition, the challenges that protected the stone were so easy three first years could get through them-no offense." Draco added quickly. "How did he even think that the Dark Lord would not get through all of that?"

"How does this connect to him wanting Mister Potter abused?" Severus questioned, sincerely curious.

"Who else would risk their neck to save a precious stone other than someone who thought their life was worthless?" Draco pointed out. Severus took in a deep breath. Then, he took another deep breath. He thought back to that first day with Mister Potter: _I'm not that great_. The pieces were all coming together.

"Professor McGonagall was always saying how Harry was always with the 'worst sort of muggles'. I thought she was mistaken, but that was back when I thought Harry was living with his grandparents." Severus realized. Draco nodded.

"Did you also notice what he wore during the summer, when school was not in session?" Draco prodded. Severus tried imagining the boy in question.

"They looked like they were four sizes too big." Severus breathed. Draco nodded.

"And full of holes. I saw that house, Uncle Sev. The Dursleys are well-off." Draco told him. Severus placed his head into his hands. This was a bit of an overload of information. Severus then looked at the clock and noted it was almost dinner time.

"Thank you, Draco, for coming to me about your concerns for Harry. I will look into it." Severus promised as he ushered Draco to the door. Draco nodded and disappeared in the direction of the Great Hall. Severus closed the door and sank to the ground in shock. He had to do something, but what?


	19. The Mudblood Incident

A/N: Any familiar content can be found in _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 105-129. Sorry it's such a short chapter.

The Mudblood Incident

The first couple weeks went by quickly. One day in mid-September, Draco and Harry found themselves being awoken by a very indignant Oliver Wood.

"Come on! We only have a month and a half until our first match and we need to be prepared." Wood encouraged. Draco moaned.

"No self-respecting person would ever be awake this early." Draco complained. He heard Harry jump out of bed. He looked over to see Harry's hurt expression.

"I'm always awake at this time at the Dursleys." Harry almost whispered. Draco sighed.

"You're the exception, Harry." Draco lied. He didn't have the heart to tell Harry he did not think Harry respected himself. Oliver stomped over to Draco and shoved him out of bed.

"There, you're up. Now, I want to see you on the pitch in fifteen minutes." Oliver demanded as he left the second-year bedroom. Draco moaned again.

"I really need to start drinking coffee again," Draco mumbled as he got up, went to brush his teeth, and got dressed.

Within fifteen minutes, the boys were on the pitch. They stood there waiting for Angelina, Katie, and Oliver-who was apparently trying to wake the girls up with little success. While they stood waiting, the twins walked up to them.

"Hey Harry," greeted Fred.

"Hey Draco," greeted George.

"Hi Fred, hi George," Harry returned. Draco inclined his head.

"Weasley-Dee, Weasley-Dumb." Draco replied. Harry looked shocked.

"Draco!" He scolded. "Be nice! The twins haven't done anything to you." The _yet_ was implied in Harry's mind.

"It's too early to be nice, Scarhead." Draco muttered.

"Nah, it's fine, Harry! I just want to know which one's dumb?" Fred joked. George rolled his eyes.

"That is not what we came over for." George reminded his twin. Fred nodded in agreement.

"That's right, brother of mine." Fred turned to Harry and bowed his head. "We just wanted you to know, Ron's been a prat all summer, bragging about how he's best friends with the great Harry Potter. He kept inserting himself into your adventure, making it sound like he was an invaluable part of your defeat of You-Know-Who." Fred told him truthfully.

"We've decided we all but hate him, the liar. We just thought you should know and we hope you don't view all Weasleys poorly because of one moron in the family." George added.

"Perhaps two, since we're still considering Percy a Weasley." Fred finished. Harry smiled.

"It's okay, guys! Don't worry. I won't blame you for something your brother is doing. It's not like you can control his actions." Harry responded.

Right then, Wood arrived with two irate chasers in tow. Before he could even begin to talk strategy, Katie Bell looked out onto the pitch and threw a fit.

"The pitch isn't even open! Why in the world would you wake us up at this un-Godly hour when Slytherins are infesting the pitch?" Katie spewed angrily. Oliver looked dumbfounded as he saw Marcus Flint stomping up to him.

"What do you think you're doing? Spying to memorize all our plays?" Marcus Flint accused.

"But I already know them all." Draco muttered sleepily. Harry clapped his hand over Draco's mouth to keep his friend from giving away any of _their_ secrets.

"No, we booked this pitch for this morning. What are you doing here?" Oliver Wood bit back.

"We got permission to use the pitch." Flint bragged.

"Permission from whom?" Oliver Wood demanded to know.

"Professor Snape." Marcus Flint handed over the note that Professor Snape had given him.

"I thought he was on our side." Draco whined. Harry clapped his hand over his friend's mouth again. He also noted that Draco was useless before seven o'clock in the morning.

As Wood and Flint argued over whose permission trumped whose, Hermione walked up to her two friends.

"What's up, buttercups?" Hermione asked as she slung an arm around Draco's neck. Harry snickered.

"Oh, Flint and Wood are arguing over who has more power: McGonagall or Snape." Harry replied.

"Oh, a tough one." Hermione teased. Draco had to smirk when he heard that. Before they could converse any further, the rest of the Slytherin team appeared beside their fearless leader.

"Why would Professor Snape give you the pitch when we had already booked it?" Wood finally asked.

"To train our new seeker and chaser." Flint responded proudly. At that time, Finnegan and Zabini popped out from the crowd of Quidditch players.

"Aren't you Athena Zabini's son?" Oliver Wood asked.

"Funny you should mention Blaise's mother." The Slytherin team smiled brightly. They all held up Nimbus 2001's. "She gifted the team with the newest brooms in celebration of her son and his friend making the team."

"So, your black widow mother is still making money? I thought all the rich men would figure it out after her third or fourth husband." Draco drawled, pretending to be very interested in his fingernails.

"Well, at least I have a trust fund to afford new brooms. I would have thought Mummy and Daddy would have disowned a blood traitor like you by now." Zabini sneered.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. _They_ got in on pure talent." Hermione jeered. Zabini's eyes grew wide at the accusation.

"Who cares what you think, you stupid Mudblood?" Seamus defended Zabini.

"Yeah, no one asked your opinion." Zabini added.

Draco lunged toward Finnegan and began to punch him in the face. Zabini started attacking Draco, trying to get him off the Irish boy. Harry attacked Zabini, stopping him from succeeding in hurting his blond friend. The twins looked at each other, shrugged, and then joined the fray. Flint and Wood both began fighting to try to decide who would break up whom. Finally, they heard a smooth voice call out.

"What is going on here?" Professor Snape asked. Hermione took a step back to allow the professor a closer view of the mess that was in front of them. He got into the middle of the fight and quickly broke it up.

"He used the 'm' word, Professor Snape," Wood tattled, pointing at Finnegan, who now sported several bruises on his face.

"I see." Professor Snape looked at Draco. The blond bowed his head in shame. "Everyone involved in the fight has detention. Move along, now. Slytherin has a practice to finish."

"I had the pitch booked for weeks…" Oliver started. He stopped as Professor Snape glared at him. He averted his eyes. "Come on, team. We can still talk strategy in the locker room."

Before Draco left, he chanced on last glance at his godfather. He could have sworn he saw the stern man smilingly proudly as they walked off the pitch. Draco didn't know how Professor Snape figured out he was the one to throw the first punch, but he knew his godfather knew.


	20. The Chamber of Secrets Opens

A/N: The characters are not ours. They are JK's.

The Chamber of Secrets Opens

It was in the common room later the night of the "Mudblood Incident" that Draco had a thought occur to him.

"Was I really that important that they had to invent another me?" He asked his friends. Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yes." She replied after several seconds of contemplation. Harry nodded in agreement.

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have found out about Fluffy. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten onto the Quidditch team. Without you, we would not have needed Polyjuice this year. Without you, we wouldn't have needed to save Buckbeak…" Harry listed.

"Ugh, that bird!" Draco moaned in remembrance.

"You were the reason the Death Eaters made it into Hogwarts and Dumbledore was killed. You were the reason that Professor Snape lost his life…" Hermione continued.

"Hey! Don't pin Uncle Sev's death on me!" Draco butted in defiantly. Hermione shrugged.

"It's the truth. Voldemort killed Professor Snape because he thought the Professor was the one to destroy Dumbledore. In reality, you were the true master of the Elder wand until Harry disarmed you." Hermione stated matter-of-factly. Draco sighed.

"Well, this time my life won't be on the line, so Professor Snape will have no reason to kill Dumbledore. Therefore, the Dark Lord should have no reason to think Uncle Sev was the master of the Elder wand." Draco reasoned.

"Exactly," Harry said. "That's why we came back in time." There was silence for a moment before Hermione switched gears.

"So, Harry, do we really have to go to Nearly-Headless Nick's death day party?" she wondered. Harry shook his head.

"I don't see why. We've seen what it was like, we know it's no fun, and we don't need to be out and about to find out about the Chamber." Harry listed reasonably.

"Besides, didn't the Potters die on Halloween?" Draco asked. "Maybe we should hold a Remembrance Day for them."

"I like that!" Harry stated excitedly. "We could send Remus a letter asking for stories about my mum and dad!" Draco nodded.

"Yeah, we could go to the feast to begin the celebration. Then, we could continue on to the common room and read stories about them! I'll ask Uncle Sev to write down a couple stories about your mum, as well!" Draco added.

It was finally the big day. Draco had pleaded with Severus to give him a few good stories of Lily, and the man had agreed. Armed with several parchments full of stories of Harry's mum before Hogwarts, Draco headed to the Come and Go room to get ready for the party. Hermione had nabbed several bottles of butterbeer and had decorated the Come and Go room in accordance with the occasion.

Harry had sent Remus a letter asking for a few stories about the Potters. Apparently, he could do one better and had told Harry he would be there. Harry was more than excited to know that one of his father's best friend would be there to celebrate his parents' lives with them.

"I can't wait! Only a few more hours!" Hermione cheered as she placed the finishing touches on the room. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure Harry feels the same. He only lost his parents on this day." Draco drawled as he placed the scrolls over to one side. Hermione had asked Remus for a picture of the Potters' living room circa 1980. He had delivered with a bunch of pictures of Harry, James, and Lily seated in the living room on several different occasions. She had then wished for the Potter living room, placing several pictures at the forefront of her mind as she passed by several times.

"Oh, yeah." Hermione remembered suddenly. "I guess you're right."

Right then, Harry walked in. "Hey, just wanted to remind you two that there is dinner this evening, starting right about now." Harry grinned as he teased them. They all walked away from what they were doing and went down to dinner.

At dinner, they had a lovely feast of duck, pumpkin juice, twice baked potatoes, sweet, buttered corn, green beans, fruit salad, and treacle tart. After that, the waited in the entrance hall for Remus to arrive so they could show him to the party. Neville was along for the ride, since his parents had been attacked the next day. Remus had mentioned he also had stories about the Longbottoms and Harry had encouraged him to share them.

Remus arrived shortly after six and they made their way to the Room of Requirement. Remus praised the décor to Hermione's delight, and Neville thanked Harry again for inviting him.

"We both lost parents, Nev. It wouldn't be right for me to think you don't grieve just because your parents still have a heartbeat." Harry shrugged as they all sat down on the very comfy couches.

"So, what story shall we tell first?" Remus asked rubbing his hands together. Draco offered him a scroll.

"How about this one?" Draco suggested. Remus looked at him in surprise, but began the tale.

"One day," Remus read, "I was at the park, escaping the house for a time. I thought I could possibly forget my family's existence and pretend for a moment that I had a normal family and that magic was not a problem. I was about to cut through some shrubbery when I heard a laugh and squeal coming from behind the hedge. I peeked through and my sights fell on the most beautiful scene I could ever imagine. A young girl, about my age, with shockingly red hair and emerald eyes, was being pushed on a swing by what I could only imagine was her sister. The girl kept pleading with her sister to push her higher, but her sister kept saying that their parents wouldn't want the girl to go too high and hurt herself. Finally, the girl jumped off and floated to the ground. The moment I saw her do that, I knew she had magic. I broke through the hedge and went over to her. 'You're a witch,' I told her, thinking I had done a good deed in informing her thusly. Instead, she slapped me." The whole room burst out laughing.

"Yep, that's good ole' mum." Harry joked. Draco smirked.

"That's good ole' Uncle Sev for you, too." He added. Remus perked up at that.

Remus continued to read through silently and suddenly grew very pale. "That explains a lot." He said, cringing. He continued to make weird faces as he continued on. "Oh, eww. Ugh…" Remus looked around. "Maybe we should read another one."

"Oh, come on! How bad can it be?" Hermione asked as she plucked the scroll out of Remus' hands. It took her a moment to realize what she had done. "Oops! Sorry, Pro….Mister Lupin." She continued reading. "Oh, ooh. Yikes…." She looked over at the other scrolls. "Maybe we should just have Mr. Lupin tell some stories now."

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as he grabbed the scroll. He read on.

"Come on, Drake. Read it to me." Harry asked pleadingly. Suddenly, Draco went pale. He started shaking his head.

"Nope…not getting in the middle of this…" Draco decided. Harry sighed and took the scroll. He read down quite a ways before cheering.

"Whoop! I knew he was good for something!" Harry exclaimed. Remus looked at his best friend's son with concern.

"Okay, then. Let's move on." Remus suggested. Neville raised his hand.

"But, what happened? I want to know." Neville implored.

"No you don't, Neville. No you don't." Hermione warned. Neville quickly let that one go.

"Remus why don't you tell us about the first time you met my dad?" Harry suggested. Remus sighed sadly.

"It was on the train ride to Hogwarts….." He began.

~ _flashback_ ~

Remus got to the platform really early on that particular September 1st. He was overly excited because it was such an honor to go to Hogwarts. He bid goodbye to his parents, and went to find a carriage at the very back of the train. He sat down and promptly fell asleep. He had not gotten a wink of sleep the previous night, due to nerves. Suddenly he was awoken by a brunette, curly haired boy.

"Who the heck are you?" he asked. Remus sat there dumbfounded for a moment, not many people actually talked to him, let alone asked who he was. When he recovered from his momentary shock, Remus spoke up.

"Remus Lupin, and you are?" Remus asked pushing his luck.

"Sirius Black, this prat is apparently James Potter." Sirius said as he pointed to the messy raven haired boy with brown eyes hidden under glasses, "How did you fall asleep, we barely just got on." The boy, Sirius, questioned.

"Nice to meet you, Sirius, James." Remus answered curtly, nodding towards each boy. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I got here fairly early, I suppose. Are you the son of Orion and Walberga Black?" Remus inquired nervously. Orion and Walberga were the most openly bigoted purebloods of them all. _There goes my hope in making friends_ , he thought. Sirius scowled and sat down across from James.

"Sadly, but trust me, I am nothing like my name would suggest. Anyway, what house do you want to be in, Remus?" Sirius probed. Remus, for the second time that day, was at a loss for words. When he recuperated, he looked between the two boys in front of him.

"You actually want to talk to me?" Remus asked quietly, looking confused.

James spoke up, "Why the heck not? You seem like a decent bloke. I want to be in Gryffindor like my dad, but Mum was in Ravenclaw, so you know, it could be interesting either way." James ranted.

The werewolf looked taken a back. "My dad was in Ravenclaw, but my Mum was a muggle, so I'll most likely be in Ravenclaw." He told the two dark haired boys.

"Ahh, so you're a bookworm, are you? Well I'm destined to be a Slytherin seeing as my entire family for generations has been. Even my favorite cousin whose nicer than a Hufflepuff." Sirius explained.

"AHH! SNAKE IN THE CARRIAGE! SNAKE IN THE CARRIAGE!" James joked and was decisively hit in the head with a nearby book.

"Shut up you Prat!" Sirius half-heartedly sneered.

Remus laughed at what seemed to be the beginning of a very exciting friendship.

~ _Flashback finite~_

The rest of the evening was spent telling stories about James, Lily, and Alice Longbottom, who had been in their same year. Remus apologized for not having any stories about Frank, but the man had been in the year above them, so he did not know much of what happened in his time at Hogwarts. Neville was fine with this, saying he always heard stories of his dad from his grandmother. It was near eleven o'clock when they left the Room of Requirement.

When they got out into the school, everyone was in distress. Harry, Draco, and Hermione walked down to the second-floor girls' bathroom where they saw a crowd of people staring in awe at the wall covered in blood. So it began.


	21. The Bludger Incident

A/N: All J.K. Rowling's.

The Bludger Incident

For Harry, the weeks were still flying by. He had had fun on Halloween, and now Remus was sending him letters occasionally. He could only wait until next year, when he would have his godfather again.

As the first Quidditch match of the year approached, Harry began to get more and more nervous. He did not fancy spending the night in the hospital wing having his arm regrown. Draco seemed adamant that Dobby would not hex the bludger this time, giving Lockhart no reason to vanish his bones.

"I told Dobby not to mess with Hogwarts. He should not have any reason to come here." Draco assured Harry.

"He didn't have any real reason last time. _I_ was actually safe from the basilisk." Harry countered.

"He couldn't have known that." Hermione defended. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever." Harry shrugged off.

The day of the Quidditch match came. All three of the Gryffindors were keeping an eye out for the renegade house elf, and they seemed satisfied when they did not see him.

Harry and Draco left for the locker rooms after breakfast. They got dressed and lined up in front of the chalkboard Wood used to explain plays to them.

"Come on, team. We've practiced hard. We've studied our plays. I am confident that this game will end in our favor. We will win." Wood announced excitedly. Fred and George looked at one another deviously. Then, both of them stepped forward. First Fred knocked on Wood's forehead. Then, George took a turn. Wood stood frozen in shock.

"What was that for?" Wood sputtered when he actually came to his senses. Both redheads shrugged.

"Knock on wood." The cited in unison. Wood still looked confused.

"What does that mean?" Wood asked them. Harry stepped forward.

"In the muggle world, it's meant as a counter for jinxes. You know, when you say something will or will not happen, you knock on wood so that it's not jinxed." Harry turned to the twins. "Where did you learn that?"

Fred shrugged again. "Dear old dad told us about it." He explained. Harry nodded his head in understanding. Wood still looked murderous.

"Just get out there and play, eh?" Wood commanded. Everyone nodded.

The game began perfectly. Draco made quite the show of making several goals against the Slytherin team. Harry kept his eyes peeled for the snitch.

"Practicing for the ballet, Potter?" Finnegan sneered after Harry had to dodge several bludgers.

"You wish. Then, maybe you could find the snitch." Harry jeered as he scanned the field once again.

Just when Harry thought they were in the clear, one of the bludgers started acting up. No matter how many times the twins hit it towards the Slytherins, it always came back for Harry.

"What's with the rogue bludger?" Fred asked as he once again hit the bludger toward Zabini. Harry sighed.

"I had hoped for one change, just one, minor change." Harry muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Harry-bear?" George asked as he hit the bludger away from Harry once again.

"Nothing." Harry lied. He had to find the snitch quickly.

Draco, who at the moment was not in possession of the quaffle, looked worriedly over at his friend. He would kill the house elf later.

Harry was just about to grab the snitch when the bludger came back and slammed into his arm, effectively breaking it. Harry used his other arm to grab the snitch and then rolled onto the ground in agony.

Draco raced down from the sky and quickly hopped off his broom to check on Harry. It was at this time that Lockhart started talking about how he could fix the arm in a jiffy.

"No!" Draco yelled out and tried to block Lockhart's wand.

"Oh, dear boy, you don't know what you're talking about! I can fix this with a simple spell." Lockhart bragged.

"No, you are not a mediwizard or a healer in any way, shape, or form." Draco countered strongly. Thankfully, Draco's quick thinking distracted Lockhart long enough for Madame Pomphrey, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape to make it to the pitch. They were about to take Harry away when the bludger came to life again and started attacking Harry, again.

"What in the world is it with rogue bludgers today?" Professor Snape muttered as he blasted the deathtrap ball with a curse.

Madame Pomphrey helped Harry up and walked him over toward the castle. Draco and Hermione followed along quickly.

Once at the hospital wing, Madame Pomphrey healed Harry's arm. She insisted, however, that Harry stay overnight for observation. Harry sighed.

"She just likes to keep students here as long as possible. Probably likes the company." Harry muttered.

"Maybe we should get her a cat." Draco suggested. Hermione laughed. Then, her eyes widened in realization.

"Ooh, I get Crookshanks next year!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry sighed.

"Yay, we get that beast to look forward to." Harry mumbled. He was not looking forward to an irate Ron this time around. Although, now that he thought about it, maybe Ron did deserve what was coming to him, and he was sure the rat deserved it.

"Hey, don't blame Crookshanks! He knew before we did that Scabbers was Pettigrew." Hermione argued with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, but only because Sirius told him." Harry countered. Then, Harry looked around the room. "Maybe this conversation is a bit loud. After all, we are talking about things that haven't occurred yet." Both his friends nodded in agreement.

Madame Pomphrey soon shooed Hermione and Draco out to allow Harry some rest. He was sure he was in for the most boring night of his life when suddenly, Professor Snape appeared by his bedside.

"We still do not know what happened to the bludger." Professor Snape informed him without so much as a greeting.

"I do." Harry muttered, but nodded his head in understanding. There was an awkward pause.

"It's not that surprising to see how often you are in the hospital wing, Mister Potter, considering how often your father was in here. I believe he was in here almost every week, and I can only take credit for half of those instances." Harry could have sworn that Professor Snape smirked a bit when he told him that. Harry nodded.

"Though, I heard some stories from Remus about what they did to you. I'm sure some of those instances were justified." Harry informed him. Professor Snape inclined his head.

"Childish grudges do tend to create some interesting stories, I am sure." Professor Snape added. Harry smirked.

"I'll say. I'm sorry, by the way, for what my father did to you. No one deserves that. I can only hope that he had grown up by the time my mum married him. I can't stand bullies and I hate to think my father was one." Harry admitted. Professor Snape looked a little shocked.

"Your father was many things, Mister Potter. I know Lily. He must have matured if she was willing to marry him." Professor Snape soothed. Harry's smiled.

"Thank you, sir." Harry returned. Professor Snape nodded. There was another awkward silence. He only left when Madame Pomphrey shooed him away, as well.

Harry could only ponder on what had occurred. It seemed strange, Professor Snape almost defending his father to him. Harry shook his head to get his thoughts straight.

He did not have much time to think before they brought in a petrified Collin Creevey. Harry thought back to his first second year. It seemed odd that everyone thought he was the heir of Slytherin, when he had been in the hospital wing under lock and key practically when Collin had been petrified by the basilisk. Just another inconsistency he would have to think on later.

The next morning, when he was let out of the hospital wing, he told Hermione about his realization.

"That's true! We never thought about that before! How could they think you were Heir of Slytherin after Collin's petrification? You were in no shape to petrify him." Hermione agreed.

"You know, I was pretty jealous of you for that. Not that you were the Heir of Slytherin-I knew you weren't-but that everyone thought you were. If anyone should have been suspected of being the Heir, it should have been me." Draco complained.

"Why do you think we needed Polyjuice? We pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle to figure out if you knew anything about the Heir." Harry explained. Draco's eyes widened.

"Hermione was Goyle? I mean, I know you must have been Crabbe, because of the whole glasses thing, but Hermione turned into a boy?" Draco sputtered. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, I was supposed to be Millicent Bulstrode. However, I accidently grabbed a cat hair rather than her hair. I ended up in the hospital wing for a few weeks after that incident." Hermione corrected. Draco nodded, looking a little less concerned.

"Wait, you were a cat?" Draco asked. Harry smirked.

"Catgirl. Na na na na na na na na na na. Catgirl." Harry sang. Draco looked at Harry confused and Hermione slapped his shoulder. All Harry could do was laugh. Draco was still laughing at Catgirl, though he did not get the cultural reference. Harry decided he would explain the joys of Batman to the blond later.


	22. Dueling Club

A/N: All familiar content can be found in _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 189

Dueling Club

The day arrived that the Trio had been waiting for. Draco, Hermione, and Harry had talked about how much they wanted to see Snape beat Lockhart again. It had been the talk of the Room of Requirement for weeks now. They would finally get a chance to enjoy the scene, since they actually had someone to root for (Professor Snape, of course).

"Who do you think they'll call up for me to duel this time?" Harry asked nonchalantly as the waited for 8 o'clock to roll around.

"I don't know. Last time, Professor Snape was furious at me for pulling that snake trick. He had told me to use _Rictumsempra_ or something else that was harmless. I chose to use a spell that my father had taught me. I thought it would be funny. I got detention for a week." Draco remembered.

"And here I thought you were Professor Snape's little pet." Harry teased. Draco smirked.

"He's the man who raised me. Of course, I respect and admire him, and yes, he does tend to spoil his godson," Draco added genially. "But I am not his pet."

"Sure acted like one." Hermione muttered. Draco threw a pillow at her.

At 7:55, the trio arrived at the Great Hall. They instantly became three bodies in a sea of students. Harry pondered on whether or not there were more students here this time than the last time around. He liked to think that Fate and Time decided to make a bigger crowd so that Lockhart was thoroughly ridiculed. It served the man right.

"Do you think there might be a way to ensure people don't think I'm the Heir of Slytherin after this club?" Harry asked. Hermione considered this.

"You could tell the snake to come to you. That way, it doesn't look like you set it on Justin." Hermione suggested. Harry nodded. He might just take her up on that advice.

The Great Hall doors flung open and Lockhart flounced in as Professor Snape stalked behind him. Harry had to hold in a giggle as he looked at Professor Snape's face. He did not look pleased.

"Gather around, gather around. Can all of you see me? Can all of you hear me? Good. Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves." Lockhart spoke with ease.

Harry leaned toward Draco. "Isn't that what he's supposed to be doing anyway as our DADA professor?" Harry asked. Draco stifled a laugh and nodded.

"…As I have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works." Lockhart added. "Now, let me introduce you to my assistant, who knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself, Professor Snape."

"A tiny little bit? He's the one who taught _me_ to duel." Draco muttered under his breath. Harry smiled.

"You say that as if you're an immaculate dueler." Harry teased. Draco punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey, I can hold my own in a fight." Draco dueled.

"You lost ownership of the most powerful wand in the wizarding world because you let me disarm you." Harry countered. Draco rolled his eyes.

Lockhart continued with his spiel as Hermione, Draco, and Harry rolled their eyes. He really was completely self-involved.

"Now, we will be showing you how to disarm your opponent. Severus, I want you to try to disarm me on three. I will then use the _Protego_ spell to block you." Lockhart explained. "Don't worry, Severus, I will go easy on you." Professor Snape rolled his eyes and got into position.

"Okay, now on three. One…two…three." Lockhart counted. Professor Snape quickly disarmed him, throwing the man across the room. Hermione, Draco, and Harry cheered as the rest of the group applauded vigorously.

"Good job, Severus, but I must admit, I knew it was coming. I just wanted to show them how you disarm your opponent." Lockhart lied. "Now, enough demonstrating. Everyone should pair off. Harry, go with Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Malfoy with Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger with Miss Parkinson."

Draco leaned over to Hermione. "Kill her, please." He pleaded with her. Hermione sighed.

"We aren't full trained wizards, remember. We can only use disarming spells, anyway." Hermione reminded him. Draco looked put out, but nodded in understanding.

The Trio spent some time practicing disarming spells. No one mentioned how their partners never kept their wands in their hands.

Finnegan, when he recovered his wand, seemed more apt to attack Harry, rather than disarm him. Harry had to use _Protego_ several times to protect himself from _Rictumsempra_ and _Tarantallegra_. Professor Snape looked over at them and Harry saw the shock on his face when he realized a second year was using a blocking spell.

"Professor Lockhart, maybe we should teach the students how to _block_ unfriendly spells, as well. It seems Mister Potter here has already figured it out. Why don't we have him show us the correct way to block a curse?" Professor Snape suggested. Professor Lockhart nodded vigorously.

"I agree. Mr. Potter seems just the right person to show us." Professor Lockhart agreed. "Mr. Weasley, would you like to come up here and duel the great Harry Potter?"

"I do not think Mr. Weasley knows enough spells to allow him to properly duel Mr. Potter. Any spell could end up hurting someone in the crowd, thanks to his broken wand." Professor Snape drawled. He then added, "Perhaps one of my Slytherins is better suited to the task. Might I suggest Mr. Zabini?"

"Of course, of course. Mr. Zabini, please come up to the platform. Mr. Potter, are you ready?"

"Scared, Potter?" Zabini asked Harry once they had both made it onto the platform.

"You wish." Harry replied. Draco looked hurt.

"Hey, that's my line." Draco whined. Hermione looked over at the blond.

"Would you like to go over and tell him so?" Hermione teased. Draco rolled his eyes and sighed.

Zabini and Harry raised their wands, pointing them in the direction of their opponent.

"Now, just do what I did, Mister Zabini." Lockhart instructed.

"What? Drop his wand?" Draco muttered, causing Hermione to giggle. Harry smirked, as he too had heard the jab.

"On the count of three. One…two…three." Lockhart counted.

"Go." Professor Snape interjected. Harry raised a protective shield.

First, Zabini tried to use _Rictumsempra_ on Harry, but it only bounced off. Then, he used _Tarantallegra_ but that also bounced off. Finally, he uttered that cursed word.

" _Serpensortia_." Zabini yelled. An angry snake shot out of his wand. The whole crowd gasped and some girls screamed in fear.

"Don't move, Mr. Potter," Professor Snape commanded strictly. Harry noted that Professor Snape seemed to be concerned, but he could hardly imagine why.

": _Where am I?:_ " The snake hissed.

"Everybody stay calm." Harry yelled out. Then, he turned to the snake. " _:Come to me.:_ " He demanded. The snake slithered over. Harry held out his hand and the snake wrapped itself around his arm.

" _:Where am I? Who are you? Why are you able to speak to me?:_ " The snake asked.

" _:I can speak Parseltongue. Don't ask why. It's too complicated.:_ " Harry explained. He continued. " _:We are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm Harry Potter. Who are you?:_ "

" _:I don't know my name.:_ " The snake hissed.

" _:Would you like me to give you a name?:_ " Harry asked. The snake nodded. Harry turned to Professor Snape, who looked dumbfounded.

"This snake does not want to hurt anyone. It's scared and doesn't know where it is." Harry explained. He turned to Draco. "Do you want him?"

Draco nodded excitedly. "Yes, of course."

Harry walked over and handed the snake to the blond. " _:Don't hurt him. He's my friend, Draco. He'll be your owner.:_ " He looked to Draco. "What would you like to name him?"

Draco smirked. "Severus." Harry had to keep from laughing. He looked around and noted that everyone had cleared out of the room, including Professor Lockhart. He turned to Professor Snape.

"What happened?" Harry asked innocently. Professor Snape smirked.

"Fear of snakes tends to run rampant in children and DADA professors." He drawled. Harry laughed. Professor Snape turned serious for a moment. "Mister Potter, were you aware that you're a Parselmouth?" Harry smiled.

"Once, I accidently set a snake on my cousin, before I knew I had magic. I also trapped him in the snake pit." Harry admitted. Severus nodded.

"It is a rare gift. Don't let anyone tell you differently." Professor Snape encouraged. "You three should get back to your common room and figure out what you're going to do with…" He paused and smirked, "Severus, here."

Harry, Draco, and Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Draco was planning on where to get a proper cage for his new pet. Life was good.

That sentiment was short-lived, however, when that night Justin Finch-Fletchley was found petrified.

"It had to have been Potter. He's clearly the Heir of Slytherin, since he's a Parselmouth." Finnegan sneered. Harry sighed. He looked up to where he assumed Time and Fate were looking down at him.

"Was this really necessary? Did I need the whole school against me again?" He whispered. Hermione, who had heard him, shrugged.

"You did everything you could to help them realize that it wasn't you." Hermione told him.

"Well, you could have let Professor Snape take care of Severus so that no one knows you're a parselmouth." Draco suggested, playing with his pet who was wrapped around his arm.

Harry facepalmed as the got back to the common room. There they found Ron petting with Scabbers.

"Hiya, Harry. I can't believe you're a parselmouth! That's so cool!" Ron exclaimed. He gulped when he spotted Severus the snake. The trio sat down. Harry's eyes widened.

"Ron, can I see Scabbers for a second?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged and handed the rat over.

"He's not very impressive. Just sleeps all the time." Ron complained. Harry smirked and started to hand Pettigrew over to Draco.

"Here. Severus food." Harry said. Ron paled. Hermione hit Harry on the back of the head.

"No, Harry. Sirius needs him alive." Hermione reminded him. At that point, Pettigrew jumped out of Harry's hands and Severus slithered to follow him. Draco grabbed him quickly.

"Maybe we should go to the kitchens to get Severus some dinner." Draco suggested. Ron finally piped in.

"Yeah, Malfoy, keep that beast away from us." Ron commanded as he struggled to keep Scabbers calm.

"Alright, alright, Weasley. No need to get your wand in a twist." Draco said. The Trio got up and began to walk toward the kitchens. Draco began talking to the snake. "Now, Severus, that's a very bad thing to do, even if the rat deserves it. We need to keep people happy so they don't take you away from me." Harry smiled and eagerly translated for Draco. Severus agreed to play along, as long as he got some food. Harry promised he would get some soon.


	23. A Conversation With Dumbledore

A Conversation with Dumbledore

Harry really wished that Justin had not been petrified. It really was difficult to deal with all the rumors flying around and the rueful Hufflepuffs. There really was no reason for them to act this way toward a second year. It was not his fault that a basilisk ran free throughout the school. Come to think of it, the person they should be angry with was Salazar Slytherin. He was the one who placed a basilisk in a school full of children, after all.

"I really wish they would stop blaming me. If anyone is to blame, it's Salazar Slytherin's fault, or Tom Riddle's. It's definitely not mine." Harry complained as he dropped down at the breakfast table.

"Who's Tom Riddle?" Draco asked curiously.

"He's Baby Voldemort." Harry explained as he took out a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote out Tom Marvolo Riddle and then I am Lord Voldemort. "Voldemort is an anagram. He's really a half-blood with daddy issues."

"What a hypocrite!" Draco exclaimed as he looked down at the parchment in wonder. "Why would anyone follow him?"

"He's a very good actor?" Harry suggested as he cut up an egg and began eating it. Draco sighed and picked up a hard-boiled egg. Severys (they had decided to spell him with a y to differentiate between the snake and the Snape) popped out from underneath Draco's sleeve and Draco handed his snake the egg.

The Trio ate their breakfast in peace when suddenly, Hedwig swooped down and dropped a letter. She then perched on Harry shoulder, expecting a piece of bacon for her trouble. Harry gladly gave her some meat and pet her feathers before he opened the letter.

"It's from Dumbledore." Harry announced curiously. "I wonder what he wants."

"Maybe he wants to check and see if you really are the Heir of Slytherin." Draco suggested. Harry shook his head.

"He knows I'm not. He knows Riddle is." Harry explained. He got up. "Well, no reason to postpone the meeting any longer. I'll see you guys later."

Hermione stood there shocked. "He wants to be on time for something? He always waits until the last minute!" She exclaimed. Draco rolled his eyes and continued to eat his breakfast.

"Our Harry's growing up." He told her. She shrugged and also continued on with her breakfast.

Harry walked over to the statue that protected the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He muttered "Gum drops" and walked through the door way. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in." Dumbledore offered. Harry walked in and sat down in a chair across from the professor.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Harry asked. At that moment, the door burst open. Harry turned expecting Hagrid to come in defending him against the accusations of him being Heir of Slytherin. Imagine his surprise when instead of Hagrid, Remus Lupin stood just inside the doorway, panting.

"He didn't do it, Headmaster. Harry is innocent! I will testify in open court. I was there the night the Chamber first opened this year and I can promise he was with me all night." Remus informed him. Harry looked shocked.

"What are you doing here, Remus? Not that I don't appreciate you being here to support me, but I wasn't expecting you today." Harry said.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin, shouldn't you be preparing for tonight?" Dumbledore asked subtly. Remus scowled at the insinuation.

"Harry has been sending me letters, telling me about the Chamber of Secrets and the events surrounding it. I wanted to come and encourage him after hearing about the accusations from last night. When I got here, I ran into Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. They said that Harry had been called to your office, sir. I just wanted to make sure you didn't make any other accusations against the innocent." Remus panted, still trying to catch his breath.

"I assure you, Remus, I am planning on doing nothing of the kind. Now if you would kindly wait for Mr. Potter outside, we have some important things to discuss." Dumbledore informed him. Remus nodded, turning to Harry.

"I'll be in the Great Hall. Come and find me when you're done." Remus instructed. Harry nodded and turned back to Dumbledore. Once the door closed, Dumbledore began.

"Now, Harry, is there anything you would like to discuss with me?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry thought for a moment.

"About the Chamber of Secrets? No. However, I did have a question about the summer." Harry paused for a moment, gathering his courage. "I can't spend another summer at the Dursleys, sir. They beat me. They don't feed me. They treat me like a house elf. They lock me in my room. I lived in the cupboard under the stairs until my Hogwarts letter came. It is a very hostile environment and I really would like to stay here, or somewhere else. Anywhere, just not the Dursleys."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it's for the greater good, and it's in your best interest." Dumbledore apologized. "You have to go back to the Dursleys."

Harry jumped out of his seat in anger. "Who placed you as my magical guardian? What right do you have to decide where I stay?" Harry accused. Dumbledore remained silent. Harry huffed. "I'll take my leave, Professor. Good day." Harry turned and walked out the door, leaving a stunned Dumbledore behind him.

As he walked out of the revolving staircase, he came across Hermione and Draco.

"What did he want?" Hermione asked.

"He thinks it's for the greater good and my best interest to stay with the Dursleys!" Harry blurted out. Draco looked at his friend stunned.

"Did you tell him what happens there?" The blond asked his friend. Harry nodded.

"I told him all of it. He said I had to go back." Harry replied angrily. "I got to go. Remus is waiting for me." Harry informed them as he stomped off.

"I got to go, too." Draco excused. His godfather needed to know this! Hermione gave him a confused look.

"Oh, okay. See you in the common room later?" Hermione asked him. He nodded. He then ran off in the direction of the dungeons.

When Draco arrived at his godfather's office, he began pounding on the door.

"Uncle Sev! Uncle Sev!" He called out frantically. Severus opened the door and Draco almost fell into the office.

"What is it, Dragon?" Severus asked him as he helped stabilize the boy. "You're acting like a werewolf is chasing you."

"He knows." Draco panted. Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"The werewolf?" Severus teased. Draco shook his head.

"No, Remus is in the Great Hall." Draco blurted. He then slapped a hand over his mouth. Severus sighed.

"Ignoring the fact that Lupin clearly cannot keep a secret, what is wrong?" Severus asked his godson, concerned.

"Dumbledore knows Harry's abused and he won't do anything about it." Draco informed him. Severus sighed.

"We already went over this, Draco. What new evidence do you have?"

"Harry just came from a meeting with Dumbledore. He told Dumbledore all about the abuse, pleading with him to send him somewhere besides the Dursleys for the summer. He told Harry that it was for the greater good and his best interest that he go back there!" Draco told him. Severus took in a deep breath.

"He's doing it again, I see." Severus sighed. Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"When did he do this before?" Draco asked. Severus shook his head.

"That's beside the point." He looked seriously at the blond. "Draco, you are to tell no one about this. I will handle it, but it must be done carefully and quietly. I don't want you to do anything Gryffindor-like." Draco nodded.

"Thanks Uncle Sev." Draco sighed in relief.

"You should get back to your friends. No one can know you came to me." Severus reminded the boy. Draco nodded in agreement.

"Okay. See you around, Uncle Sev." Draco said and walked out the door. Severus slumped in his chair and held his head in his hands. What could he do?

Meanwhile, Harry found Remus in the Great Hall, having a friendly chat with Professor McGonagall. Harry smiled and walked up to Remus.

"Hi, Professor McGonagall. Hi, Remus. I just finished up my discussion with Professor Dumbledore." Harry announced. Professor McGonagall looked confused.

"You had a conversation with the headmaster without your head of house present?" Professor McGonagall asked suspiciously. Harry shrugged.

"Well, yeah." He replied. _We had them all the time last time_. He thought to himself. Professor McGonagall shook her head.

"Well, I'm sure he had a good reason to break protocol. Well, Remus, it was lovely seeing you again! You really should come around more often." She chastised. Remus smiled.

"I'll try, Minerva." Remus responded. He turned to Harry. "How about we go to that room we were in on Halloween. It's a bit more private for us to catch up in." Harry nodded.

Once they arrived, Remus shut the door and motioned for Harry to sit.

"How did your conversation go, Harry?" Remus asked as he himself sat down on a leather recliner. Harry suddenly got angry.

"He knows about the abuse and he's still sending me back there." Harry blurted out. Remus looked shocked.

"What abuse? Harry, what's going on?" Remus questioned, suddenly concerned. Harry suddenly calmed down and averted his eyes.

"It's…It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Remus." Harry lied.

"If you think I could possibly not worry about it, then you don't know me at all. Harry, is someone abusing you?" Remus prodded gently. Harry looked down at the ground and nodded. "Who is it, Harry?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll have to go back there, anyway." Harry sighed. Remus looked thoughtful.

"Harry, who are you staying with over the summers?" Remus asked.

"The Dursleys." Harry replied.

"Who are the Dursleys?" Remus continued, brow furrowed.

"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon." Harry clarified. Remus jumped from his chair in anger.

"You're living with Petunia Evans? Of all the people you could have been sent to, the Headmaster sent you to Petunia? Lily hated Petunia, and the feeling was mutual. You should never have been sent there. What did they do to you?" Remus asked. Remus slowly sat back down, prepared to hear Harry out.

Harry spent the next half-hour describing how the Dursleys had treated him for the past eleven years. When he finished, he looked at Remus expectantly. Remus remained silent. He then got up out of his chair and stormed out of the room.

Once Remus left the room, he stomped toward the direction of the Headmaster's office. Thankfully, at that moment, Draco appeared. He stopped the werewolf in his tracks.

"What do you think you're doing?" Draco questioned. Remus pushed the boy out of his way.

"I'm going to give the headmaster a piece of my mind." Remus told the lad, once again heading toward the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore. Remembering what his godfather had just said, Draco stopped Remus from going further.

"No, you can't. Uncle Sev is handling it." Draco promised. Remus looked down at the boy in shock.

"Uncle Sev?" Remus shook off his confusion so that he could make his case. "I promised James and Lily that I would look after him. Here, I find out he's been abused. I've failed at my one job!"

Draco contradicted him. "As long as he's still breathing, you have not failed. Maybe you could check up on him in the summers. I know his address, I've been there before. I can tell you where he is." Draco appeased. Remus huffed and nodded.

At this time, Harry came out of the Room of Requirement. He said his goodbyes to Remus and led Remus out of Hogwarts. Draco considered how different this time had been. Before, Harry had no one around to protect him. This time, he had many.


	24. Christmas Second Year

Christmas, Second Year

Over the next few weeks before Christmas, letters from Remus began to get more and more frequent. They also would not just be stories about James or Lily. Some even asked him if he was getting enough food to eat and if he was balancing his meals properly.

"I think Remus is getting obsessed. His letters are coming every day now, and he's asking me about my dietary habits. Should I be concerned?" Harry asked his friends. Hermione shrugged.

"You always wanted an overbearing mother. Well, now you got one!" Hermione reminded him. Harry sighed.

"Yes, I just never thought it would be Remus." Harry sighed. Draco laughed.

"A werewolf for a mother and a convict for a father. Quite the family you have there, Potter." Draco teased. Harry playfully punched his shoulder.

"Like you're one to talk." Harry retorted.

"Good point. I have Death Eater One, Death Eater Two, and Death Eater Three…although Death Eater Three isn't really a Death Eater anymore." Draco said.

"No, he's just a triple spy, or a quadruple spy. See, even I've lost count!" Hermione exclaimed, looking up from her book. Harry looked at the book she was reading.

"Still trying to figure out the communicators?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head.

"I think I almost got it. Hold on! I need to get one more book." Hermione remembered. She jumped up and ran out of the Room of Requirement.

"Should we follow her?" Harry asked.

"Might as well. We know where she's going, but I highly doubt it's just one more book. She might need help carrying them all." Draco suggested. They both nodded in agreement as they headed out of the room.

There were about to head off in the direction of the library when Harry saw Luna, wearing her glasses, clearly hunting nargles. He could not resist approaching her.

"Find any nargles yet?" Harry asked her playfully. She looked over at him.

"Sadly, no. Have you?" She responded airily. Harry smiled.

"I'm Harry Potter." He reached out a hand. She looked at it for a moment.

"I know you are." Luna replied before she took the hand and shook it. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

"So I've heard. It's nice to meet you, Luna. Would you like to go to the library with my friend Draco and me? Our other friend Hermione might need some help carrying books." Harry explained. Luna thought for a moment.

"Sure, maybe we'll find some nargles along the way!" She exclaimed as they began their trek. Draco rolled his eyes and looked at Harry.

"Come on, this will be fun!" Harry promised.

"It better be, lover boy." Draco teased. Harry blushed, but ignored him.

As it turned out, Hermione really did only need one more book. She also asked each boy for a galleon. Harry gave her two and told her to make one for Luna, as well. Hermione rolled her eyes, but agreed. She then ran off to the Room of Requirement to begin making them.

Christmas day arrived quickly. Harry was semi-surprised to find he still had gotten a Weasley jumper. He thought he should tell Ron that enough was enough, that he was not his friend and he would not tolerate the redhead bragging about being his best friend. However, he thought better of it, not wanting to make an enemy of his housemate so early in his career at Hogwarts.

He also received a big box of chocolates from Remus, with a note not to spoil his dinner. Also, it said he was going to try to stop by later in the week to check on him. Harry wondered if Remus would soon be checking him for scrapes and bruises every time he saw the man.

Draco got him a Quidditch book. Along with it came a present from Professor Snape. In it was a journal, a picture of his mother, and a "Potions for Dummies" book. Harry thought this was a little unfair, since he was tied for first place with Hermione and Draco. Yet, when he opened the book, he realized it explained more behind potion theory and a few other things he never quite understood. He had to admit, it was a good gift.

Hermione had gotten him a book on how to fight dragons, which caused Harry to laugh so hard he ended up falling on the floor. Yes, this would be a good thing to have, albeit it was a bit early for them to be thinking of this. They did have all of next year to get through before he even had to think of dragons, merpeople, and mazes.

He was surprised, however, when he got a present from Luna. Sure, he had gotten her a necklace, but he had gotten that months before he even introduced himself, back in Diagon Alley. But she had taken the time since their meeting to fashion him his own pair of "nargle hunting" glasses.

As he finished throwing away the gift wrapping, Hermione burst into the boys' dorm.

"I did it! I did it!" Hermione rejoiced, handing both of them watches made from the galleons they had given her. She herself was wearing a galleon necklace and held another in her hand for Luna.

"They work?" Draco asked incredulously.

"It's Hermione. Of course, they work." Harry replied as he wrapped the band around his wrist.

"Well, then, let's go give this last one to Luna." Hermione suggested, holding up the necklace. Harry nodded.

The three raced down the corridors to the Ravenclaw Tower. They knocked on the door and were greeted with a pretty irate Cho Chang, who had been studying when they had interrupted her, thank you very much. Harry did not care. He just wanted to see Luna's face when they gave her the communicator.

Luna soon came out and they took her to the Room of Requirement.

"Oh, the Come and Go room. I've heard of this place from the house elves. Lovely bunch of folk they are, wouldn't you agree, Harry?" She asked conversationally. Harry nodded.

"They sure are, Luna." Harry switched gears. "Luna, we have a present for you." He handed her the galleon necklace.

"But Harry, you already got me a necklace." Luna reminded him. Draco burst out laughing.

"No, Draco, I don't have a crush on anybody. I just feel bad for the girl." Draco mocked quietly. Harry glared at him.

"Well, it is the truth." He whispered back as Luna admired the galleon.

"What does it do?" Luna asked. Hermione took over the conversation.

"It's a communicator. You can use it to call us whenever you need us." Hermione explained. Luna looked up at her.

"Thank you, Hermione, Harry, Draco. But, you don't have to add me into your group. I understand if you don't want me along for the ride." Luna told them sadly.

"No! You're not just along for the ride! You're our friend!" Harry shouted. Draco rolled his eyes.

"We've only talked to her once before." Draco reminded Harry. He sighed.

"Well, she's still our friend. We would love for you to join our group, Luna." Harry invited.

"But, Harry…" Draco started. Harry interrupted him.

"If you get your 'girlfriend', then I get mine." Harry reasoned harshly. Draco surrendered.

Right at that time, there was a knock on the door. Hermione answered it.

"Oh, Remus, you're here!" Hermione gushed. Harry smiled. He walked over to Remus.

"Hi, Remus," Harry greeted. Remus caught Harry up in a big hug.

"Good to see you, Harry. How is school? Are you getting good grades? Getting enough sleep? How about food?" Remus started Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Remus. School is going well. I am getting good grades. I get plenty of sleep." Harry lied. _When Wood's not getting me up at five in the morning, it's true_. Harry thought to himself. "And yes, Remus, I am eating all my fruits and vegetables." Remus nodded.

"Good." Remus replied. He turned to Draco. "Good afternoon, Draco. And who are you?" He asked Luna. She offered her hand.

"Luna Lovegood." She introduced.

"Daughter of Xeno Lovegood?" Remus asked as he took her hand. She nodded. They shook hands. "I was sorry to hear about your mother. She was a good woman. I'm Remus Lupin, by the way."

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin." Luna greeted.

"Please, call me Remus. I'm not your professor or anything like that." Remus told her. Harry, Draco, and Hermione snickered.

They spent the afternoon talking about Remus' days at Hogwarts. He told them many stories of Christmas past where the Marauders played Christmas pranks on people. Harry cringed when Professor Snape was the subject of those pranks. He noticed, however, that Remus tended to tell the stories very carefully, never mentioning the animagi Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs.

They ended the day by showing Remus Hermione's accomplishment. They tried it out and, to Draco's surprise, they actually worked. Remus praised Hermione's work and told her it was a brilliant idea. Hermione preened at the praise and Draco rolled his eyes. Harry just snickered.

"You get used to it." He told Draco, who huffed.

"Well, at least you can talk to us when you're in detention." Draco teased. Harry glared. "It's true."


	25. The Chamber of Secrets

The Chamber of Secrets

The weeks flew by and soon it was the last Quidditch match of the year. Harry and Draco were already on their brooms when Draco looked out to the crowd and elbowed Harry.

"Hey, look, mummy dearest is here." Draco teased, pointing to an obviously stressed Remus. Harry shoved the blond back.

"Go back to your ball, Ferret." Harry responded, looking back, secretly excited. He never thought he would have someone like a parent watching him at his games. He would have to tell Remus later how much this meant to him.

Meanwhile, in the bleachers, Hermione sat next to Remus. She looked over at the man who was sitting on the edge of his seat.

"What are you so nervous about? Harry's done this thousands of times." Hermione soothed as she tried to calm him down. He furrowed his brow and glanced at her.

"He's only a second year. How could he have done this a thousand times?" He implored. Hermione scrunched her nose in thought.

"It's just a figure of speech." Hermione lied. He went back to watching Harry intently.

"It was bad enough when it was James and Sirius out there. I can stand watching Harry get hurt, too." Remus confessed.

"Well at least you weren't here when he was hit by the rogue bludger." Hermione figured, more to herself than to the man sitting next to her.

"Not making me feel better." Remus muttered.

However, Remus had no reason to worry. Harry caught the snitch and the Gryffindor team won the Quidditch Cup for the second year in a row. As the crowd dispersed, Remus walked up to Harry.

"Wow, you're even better at flying than James was, Harry!" Remus praised. Harry blushed.

"Thank you." Harry replied.

"I better get going. I'll see you at King's Cross Station?" Remus checked. Harry grinned and nodded.

"Sure, I'll be there!" Harry responded.

"Of course, you're going to be there, Harry. What else were you going to do? Stay on the train all summer?" Draco teased. Harry batted his friend's shoulder.

"Don't suggest that. It's tempting." Harry told the blond. Draco rolled his eyes.

Later that night, Harry and Draco sat in the common room, enjoying the fire while studying for final exams. Hermione came down and was about to join them, when they saw Ginny walk out of Gryffindor Tower in a daze.

"Maybe I should follow her," Hermione suggested. Harry and Draco nodded.

"Be careful." Draco warned. Hermione cocked her head to one side.

"When am I not careful?" She responded. Draco gave her a look. "Okay, fine. I'll be very careful." She walked out of the tower.

It took a whole hour for Harry to notice that the brunette had not returned.

"Where's Hermione?" He asked. "Surely, she can't still be looking for Ginny. She literally left right after the girl and it's not that big of a castle."

Draco huffed. "We should probably go look for her." He instructed Harry. Harry nodded.

They left the common room and began to walk toward the second-floor girls' bathroom. When they got there, they had to maneuver their way through another sea of students. They finally got to the center of the commotion and stopped cold. There, laying on the ground petrified, was Hermione.

"No!" Draco and Harry shouted together. This was not supposed to happen this time around. She was supposed to be safe. They looked around for Ginny. They could not find her anywhere. The wall dripped with blood that read, "Her body will forever lay in the Chamber of Secrets". Harry sighed.

"Let's go get Lockhart." He whined. Draco looked questioningly at him.

"Why? He's useless. He's not important, no matter what he says." Draco almost shrieked.

"So, why not use him as bait?" Harry suggested. Draco grinned. They quickly ran to the DADA office, where they found Lockhart packing.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to save her?" Harry implored, his voice cracking. He still did not want to see Ginny die because of Riddle, even if he did not love her.

"Yes, pity, that. I could have saved her, but I was called away to another dangerous situation, uh…involving a dragon. I'm sure your other professors have the problem under control." Lockhart lied. Draco snorted.

"Not such a big shot when there's actual danger, are you now?" Draco sneered. " _Expelliarmus_." Draco shouted, successfully disarming the DADA professor.

"Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that spell." Harry mocked.

They soon found themselves leading a disheveled Lockhart to the second-floor. They quickly made their way to the girls' bathroom, where water was all over the floor. Ron was also there.

"Harry!" Ron shouted. He had tears down his face. "They took Ginny! She's missing! I have to help her, Harry! She's my little sister."

In that moment, Harry felt pity for Ron. He knew that if he had a younger sibling, he would feel the same way as Ron did right now.

"Come with us. We're going to find her. We think we know where the entrance is." Harry informed him. Ron nodded his head vigorously.

Soon, they were staring at the row of sinks in the girls' bathroom. Draco looked around skeptically.

"Here? Of all the places it could have been, it's here?" Draco queried. Harry nodded. He walked over to the sink with the snake engraved on the side of the faucet.

" _:Open:_ " Harry hissed. The sink automatically started to move. Soon, a slide appeared underneath where the sink used to be.

"Well, I see you don't need me, anymore. I'll just…" Lockhart started.

"Go first? I agree." Draco interrupted. He took Lockhart and pushed him down the hole.

"Ahhh!" They heard the professor scream. After a minute, it stopped.

"Is he dead?" Ron asked. Draco shrugged.

"One way to find out." Draco replied. Then, he jumped down and slid to the ground. After a few seconds they heard, "Not dead, just passed out." Harry looked at Ron.

"You go next. I'll stay behind to make sure the sink doesn't close on you." Harry offered. Ron nodded and jumped down the slide himself. Moments later, Harry heard Draco complaining.

"Seriously, Weasley. Haven't you ever heard of waiting until someone yells clear before going down a dark slide?" Draco scorned. Harry laughed. He waited a few more seconds. "Clear!" Draco yelled up at him. He then slid down the slide.

Once all four of them were down the slide, Lockhart awoke. He took the momentary lapse of awareness on the part of the boys and snatched Ron's wand-which was still broken-and tried to _Obliviate_ their memories. However, he once again caused the spell to backfire and the roof to cave in. Harry waited for the dust to settle and promised the boys he would be back soon.

Harry went on to save Ginny's life. He told Riddle he knew about his seedy past and that he would destroy the boy once and for all. He still needed Fawkes' help to blind the basilisk, but he killed the large snake, took the fang, and stabbed the diary. Fawkes healed him and he carried Ginny out of the Chamber toward the entrance.

Meanwhile, Ron and Draco were stuck with Lockhart. Draco looked around.

"Great, just great. If you had just kept your wand out of reach, Weasley, none of this would have happened!" Draco accused.

"Me? You're the one who brought Lockhart along." Ron retorted.

"Who's Lockhart?" Lockhart asked. Draco facepalmed.

"No one." He replied, figuring it was easier to tell the fool that than to get into a long, convoluted story.

"Hmm. Is this your house? Are you two a couple?" Lockhart asked.

"No!" They replied in unison.

"I think you two would make a lovely one, though. You two just need to work out your problems." Lockhart advised.

"I'll have you know I am in love with a _girl_." Draco defended. "Besides, all we have to do is stay calm and wait for Harry."

"There's three of you? That's kinky." Lockhart commented.

"Ugh!" Draco grunted, holding his head in his hands.

"I think you should redecorate." Lockhart continued. At this point, Draco started pounding his head into one of the cave walls. "The blond one is a bit uptight, isn't he?"

"You have no idea." Ron replied.

At this point, Harry returned with Ginny in his arms. He yelled out at Draco.

"How do you think we can get through?" Harry asked Draco. Draco thought for a moment.

"Stay clear of the rock pile." Draco commanded. Harry did as he was told. "Are you away from the wall?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Kneel down and put your head between your arms for protection." Draco continued. Harry did thusly. When Draco was sure his friend would be safe, he used a _Bombarda_ to blast through the rock pile and make a hole in the wall. Harry picked up Ginny and walked through the pathway unharmed.

"How did you know that spell, Malfoy? Daddy teach it to you?" Ron sneered.

"What a lovely window, though there's not much of a view." Lockhart added. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Come on. Let's get Weaselette to the hospital wing and Lockhart to St. Mungo's." Draco suggested.

"Who's Lockhart?" Lockhart repeated as they all made their way out of the chamber.


	26. Snape Confronts Harry

A/N: All familiar content is from _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 133-136

Severus Confronts Harry

After they got Ginny to the hospital wing, Harry, Draco, and Ron were called into Dumbledore's office. They explained what had happened, and the Weasleys thanked Harry and Draco profusely. Ron was upset that they included Draco in the praise, but was quickly mollified when his mother smothered him with praises, too, since he did go down in the Chamber, as well.

The Weasleys soon departed to go see Ginny, and so Harry and Draco were left with Dumbledore. Harry handed the first horcrux over to the headmaster. Before they could converse, Remus burst through the headmaster's door.

"Harry! Thank God you're alright!" Remus grabbed Harry and started inspecting him. "Did you cut yourself? Are you hurt? Oh, Harry you had me scared to death!" Harry blushed and Draco snickered.

"How do you even know what happened, Remus?" Harry asked, trying to distract the man from inspecting him over again.

"Professor McGonagall firecalled me as soon as you were out of the Chamber. What were you thinking, young man?" Remus scolded before pulling Harry into a tight hug. "I can't lose another Potter."

"I was unaware you 'lost' the first two." Draco muttered, smirking at his pun.

Before Remus could say anymore, Lucius burst into the headmaster's office.

"Good evening, Lucius," Dumbledore greeted.

"Headmaster, I am here to relieve you of your position. There is clearly something dangerous occurring at the castle and you have done nothing to stop it." Lucius reproached.

"And that could be the plot of our series." Draco muttered. Harry grinned

"Harry just saved the day by stopping the monster that was attacking our students from within the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Snape is right now administering the mandrake potion to the petrified students. All is well, and Hogwarts is safe."

"Harry Potter? And the Chamber of Secrets?" Lucius sputtered.

"And there's our title." Draco continued. Remus chuckled.

"Yes, it seems Mr. Potter was able to defeat the basilisk and stop the person responsible." Dumbledore added.

"You caught the culprit?" Lucius asked in amazement.

"The same person as last time, Lucius. Except this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through someone else by the means of this diary." Dumbledore enlightened.

Lucius became very angry that his plan was foiled by a twelve-year-old. He was so angry that he did not notice Harry slip his sock in the diary that Dumbledore had handed to him. He then gave it to Lucius, who gave it to Dobby, subsequently freeing the elf. The elf then protected Harry and his friends from the _Avada Kedavra_ Lucius was about to say.

Lucius soon left and Remus took the two boys back to Gryffindor Tower. They were about to go in when they heard someone calling for Mr. Potter. Harry turned around and saw Professor Snape stalking towards him.

"Did you call me, Professor?" Harry asked. Professor Snape nodded.

"Yes, there are a few things I must discuss with you before you leave on holiday." Professor Snape told him ominously. Remus stepped forward.

"Is it something I need to know about, Severus?" Remus asked, concerned.

"No, Lupin. This is just something I must discuss with Mister Potter alone." Professor Snape clarified.

"It's okay, Remus. I'll see you at King's Cross." Harry promised. Remus gave Harry a hug before he helped Draco into the tower.

"Come with me." Professor Snape instructed. Harry nodded his head and followed his professor down into the dungeons. Harry soon found himself in his potion master's office, staring at the desk in front of him.

"What did you need to speak to me about, professor?" Harry asked him. The professor sighed.

"Mister Potter, it has come to my attention that your home life is less than stellar." Snape told him. Harry furrowed his brow.

"And how did you come by this information?" Harry asked suspiciously. Draco was so going to get it when Harry returned to the common room. He had told the blond to stay out of it.

"By the power of observation, Mister Potter." Snape lied. "You are far too skinny. You flinch when your friends touch you. At my house, you were far too quiet and too polite." He paused. "On top of all of that, you mentioned you were living with Petunia. I know she hates magic, and I have no doubt she would at the very least neglect you. I cannot imagine she would marry someone any nicer. On top of all that, you came to me asking for information about your mother and grandparents, which means she neglected to tell you anything about your past herself."

"All of this led you to believe I was abused?" Harry asked.

"That and an anonymous source mentioned they had seen you had many scars and bruises-old and new-when they saw you. Draco casually mentioned his rescue when I had him explain himself to me. The fact there were bars on only your window-as well as locks on your door-I can only imagine the kind of life you live with your deplorable aunt." Snape paused again. "I want you to know that if you ever are concerned for your safety, you can contact me. I should go to Dumbledore for this, but I am under the impression that my concerns will be ignored. I think you should also tell Lupin of your living situation. I know he would not stand for you living like you do."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir," Harry replied. Snape nodded.

"You're welcome." Harry turned to leave when Professor Snape stopped him. "And Mister Potter, try and have a decent holiday." Harry smiled.

"I'll try, sir." He promised before leaving. Maybe, he would not kill Draco, after all.

The following week found Harry, Draco, and Hermione on the Hogwarts Express. They had invited Luna to join them in their carriage, and she happily agreed. The trio had helped her find all of the things her housemates had hid over the year, and Harry had warned the Ravenclaws that he would not stand for them bullying poor Luna.

The train ride seemed shorter this time, knowing who was waiting for him at the station. Harry counted himself blessed. Not only did he now have someone who came to all his Quidditch games, he also had someone waiting for him at King's Cross.

"Excited for this next year?" Hermione whispered knowingly. Harry grinned.

"Absolutely. I plan to make communication with him early and often." He replied cryptically.

"Doesn't Black escape this year?" Draco recalled, whispering himself as to not tip Luna off to the truth about them.

"Who else did you think we're talking about?" Hermione scoffed.

"I don't know! Lupin also teaches this year." Draco whispered in defense. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Why do you think Professor Lupin teaches this year?" Hermione asked.

"You mean the only reason Dumbledore offered him a job was because his best friend was on the loose?" Draco ridiculed. "I just thought he had gone completely bonkers and hired Lupin as he did Lockhart." Harry glared.

"Remus is a good teacher! If I had it my way, he would have been our last teacher for DADA." Harry complained. He then muttered to himself, "I didn't have a lot of luck with DADA teachers after that. They all seemed to want to kill me." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so melodramatic. Uncle Sev didn't want to kill you. He didn't want you anywhere near him, but he didn't want to kill you." Draco stuck up for Professor Snape. At that point, Severys poked his head out from under Draco sleeve. Hermione suddenly looked thoughtfully.

"Did you take Severys to the Chamber of Secrets with you?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course, and he did a very good job protecting us from the bad old idiot. Didn't you, Sevvie." Draco cooed. Harry snickered while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"This year's going to be great!" Harry laughed as he watched Draco pet Severys.


	27. Summertime

Summertime

Harry got to the platform of 9 ¾ and gladly saw Remus waiting for him. He grinned and waved over to his 'mother', but not before bidding goodbye to his friends.

"And remember Harry, we have the galleons now so if _anything_ happens you just have to call." Hermione repeated.

"Yes, 'Mione, I know. Goodbye," he then proceeded to hug his friends, old and new. "Now Luna, don't forget to write. I'll gladly reply to any letters you send." Harry declared. Draco smirked and rolled his eyes along with Hermione.

"Of course, Harry. Goodbye." Luna replied. After all farewells were said, Harry went over and hugged Remus. The larger, tired man hugged Harry with all his might, and then he let go and inspected Harry for any signs of distress.

"How were your last few days Harry? Are you okay? What did Snape have to say to you?" Remus interrogated.

"I'm _fine,_ really. Professor Snape just told me to contact him if anything got bad this summer. Apparently between his own observations and Draco's he figured out what's happening at home. He also mentioned I should tell you, which I already did, so no worries there." Harry finished nonchalantly.

Remus smiled but a scowl quickly appeared. "That reminds me, I want to have a word with that so-called family of yours. Where do you usually meet them?" He asked.

"If they actually show, we meet somewhere on the other side of the barrier." Harry answered.

"What do you mean if the actually show? Are they not coming?" Remus enquired.

"Well, when Draco came to retrieve me, he may have told the Dursleys off. Not to mention he said I wouldn't be coming back if it were up to him. I don't know if they think he has the authority to say so, but I have a feeling they won't be pleased either way." Harry explained. Remus' nostrils flared and his brow furrowed.

"Well then, I'll have to take you back. What is your address?" Remus asked far too calmly.

"Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey." Harry answered. Remus nodded and they walked to a spot where it would be safe to _Apparate_. When they got there, Remus took a calming deep breath. Then, he took another one. After that, they walked up to the door of Number Four, Privet Drive and knocked.

"Now Harry, I think I will need you to stay here for a moment while I talk to your relatives." Remus instructed. Suddenly, a horse-faced woman answered the door.

"Hello, Petunia" Remus greeted with a deadly scowl. Her eyes widened and she tried to shut the door. Remus caught it with his hand and let himself in. "Interesting home, and I thought you would be living without one judging by the way you dress Harry." He continued.

"Get out! Get out and don't let Vernon know you're here, _freak!_ "She squealed.

"Oh! That must be 'Uncle Vernon' then, yeah? Oh, yes bring him here. I have more than a few words for him." Remus spat.

"What is going on here? Who the heck are you?" Vernon, who had come to see what the commotion was, turned to the door and saw Harry on the porch. "Freak! What are you doing here? You're not welcome! Leave this instant." The minute the word freak came out of the pig shaped man's mouth, Remus hit his breaking point. Remus marched up to the man, grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the wall.

"Who the HECK are you calling freak? You are the disgrace to this world, _not_ Harry. You _filth_! Now sit, so we can get a couple things straightened out." Remus seethed with anger. He _accio_ ed two chairs and stuck the two Dursleys in them so that they could not move. "Alright, let's get one thing straight. Harry has no other choice but to be in this household. You are not doing him a 'favor' by letting him live here. You don't have a choice either. Do you even realize who he is in our world? He is a savior. No one would be here right now if it weren't for him, especially not muggles like you. He is not 'lucky' that you give him your son's left-over clothing. He should not be 'grateful' that you feed him every few couple of days, particularly when you don't even give him a full meal.

"The fact that he didn't know his name was Harry Potter until he went to primary school is specifically distasteful, and that he didn't know who or what his parents were is beyond scandalous. Truthfully, I'm not even going to go there. He is not a freak, you are. Petunia, have you ever stopped to think what your parents would have thought of his treatment? He. Is. Your. Nephew. Not some orphan you're giving charity to. And what you give him is not charity, it is torture.

"Perhaps you think it's 'right' and 'justified' what you do to him, but could you imagine doing that to your own son? This isn't a random child, this is someone else's son. Not to mention your _sister's_ son. I know you hated her and anything to do with her, but that was only because she was a witch. Imagine if the circumstances were different and Harry was not a wizard. If Lily was not a witch. How would you have treated your orphaned nephew? Hm? How you treat this child is not right. It's not justified. I am not expecting you to treat him better than your son, but locking Harry up in a cupboard and not feeding him for days on end is not even treating Harry like a human being. How are you setting a good example for Dudley?

"Don't even get me started on how you treat him like your 'servant.' You know what we would call the person who does the work Harry does in our world? A house elf. They are one of the most disrespected creatures in the wizarding world. How do you think the leader of our world would feel if you were treating his most beloved savior that way? Hm? Oh, well, let's see. He would put you on trial. A wizard trial. If you were found guilty, you would go to Azkaban. Do you know what is guarding Azkaban?" Petunia went pale. Remus had put a silencing charm on them so that he was not interrupted. He took the spell off Petunia. "You know, don't you?" He asked.

"Dementors." She whispered in horror.

"Exactly. Do you understand that Vernon? Do you see the terror on your wife's face? It won't matter if your muggles or not, they will send you straight to Azkaban not second questions asked when they see what has been done to Harry. When I leave Harry here, in your custody, I expect to hear he is happy, not to mention unharmed. I don't care if you lock Harry in his room upstairs, not under the cupboard, but I will see to it that he's eating full meals, not cans of cold soup. Do I make myself clear? I have no choice but to leave him here. And he must stay for his own safety. But if I see him at Kings Cross and he has one scratch, you will rue the day you ever touched a hair on Harry's head." He finished. Harry stood in the background not sure whether to smile or laugh at the sight of his Uncle's face. Remus sighed and turned around to help Harry move his things upstairs. When they reached Harry's room, Remus frowned.

"This is your room? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but what do you say we touch it up a bit? Hm?" Remus smiled for the first time in about half an hour. Harry chuckled

"Sure. What did you have in mind?" Harry asked. Remus muttered a spell and in the blink of an eye Harry's room was red and gold. He muttered another spell and the bed was replaced with a much fluffier version with a red and gold comforter. He expanded the desk slightly and put a small expansion charm on the room. He also put a disillusionment charm on the room so, to the Dursleys, it would look as it did before.

"There, better?" Remus inquired. Harry grinned and hugged the lycanthrope. "Well, I should probably let the muggles go. If they even touch you, Harry, don't refrain from writing me and/or Snape. Also keep those friends of yours close. It will help. If they aren't giving you enough to eat, I can send something. Alright?" Harry smiled

"Of course, Remus. I wish you didn't have to go. Well, I wish I didn't have to stay, but I'll be fine." Harry sighed and gave Remus one last hug.

"Bye, Kiddo." Remus went down stairs and released the Dursleys from their state. Harry could tell because they were having a fit. Uncle Vernon came upstairs and threatened Harry. If he did anything, the man would kick him to the curb.

The next couple of weeks went okay. Harry was locked in his room, but was given actual meals. Finally, his birthday rolled around, and for once he couldn't wait. When midnight came, the packages rolled in.

First, he opened the Broom Cleaning Kit from Hermione. Harry chuckled as he realized she probably only did that to keep the timelines straight. The next present he opened was from Draco, who had sent a birthday cake, a couple of self-resizing outfits, and a fourth-year charms book that had belonged to his mother. The charms book was from Professor Snape, of course, but Draco said in his note that 'Uncle Sev' did not want to be named as the possessor of the book. Harry smiled and opened a present from Remus. Of course, there was at least a pound of chocolate, but also a text book for defense. Harry opened the book to find it had belonged to his father and a note from Remus.

 _Harry,_

 _I think this may be useful in this year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It may or may not be your text book this year. *wink wink* I hope your birthday is better than any before and that this starts to make up for some missed years. Believe it or not I have eleven years' worth of stuffed animals and toys I had bought in hopes of being able to send them to you one day. Perhaps they can be used for a later generation. Happy Birthday Prongslet,_

 _Remus_

Harry had tears in his eyes as he paged through the worn hardcover. On almost every page were conversations between James Potter and whomever was closest to him. Most of the transcripts were about a certain redhead who was 'very distracting today' and to 'pay attention, James, I'm trying to take notes'. Harry smiled.

He was also thankful to note there was no "Monster book of Monsters" this time from Hagrid. Although Harry loved the oaf, he was a bit loony. Speaking of, Harry was very happy when he got a present from Luna as well. It was a painting she had made of Harry, Draco, and Hermione. He was sad to notice that Luna wasn't in it but he understood why. This was the best Birthday Harry had ever had, even counting the times before.

During the summer, he talked to Draco, Hermione, or Luna every day, and was always pleasantly surprised with a "Good morning, Harry" daily. When he talked to Draco, he also ended up talking to Severys, as well. It was almost the highlight of his week when his Aunt walked in on him hissing at his wrist. Harry was writing to Remus at least every other day and talked to him about an assortment of odd things. 'Aunt' Marge came and everything happened the same way. Although, Harry considered trying to threaten the Dursleys, but thought against it.

When the day of that dreadful dinner came, Harry shouldn't have been surprised to hear them trash talk his parents. He should have helped it. He could have helped it. However, he didn't. The next thing he knew, Marge was being blown up like a balloon, Harry rushed upstairs to grab his things. Soon, he was sitting on that dang curve again.


	28. Sirius and the Leaky Cauldron

Sirius and the Leaky Cauldron

Harry sat down on the sidewalk and contemplated his next move. He heard a rustling of leaves and looked over. He did a double take. He could not believe his eyes! Was it really truly him?

"Padfoot!" Harry exclaimed, jumping up from his spot. The big, black, shaggy dog stopped in its retreat and turned around, its tongue lolling to one side. Harry ran over to his godfather and dropped down to his knees. "Padfoot! It's you!"

Harry looked around. This was not the best place to have such an important conversation. "Hey boy, want to come with me to the Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked Padfoot. The dog barked and bounced its head. Harry took that to mean yes. "Well, come on then." Harry directed and grabbed the scruff of the dog's neck.

 _How are we going to get there?_ Harry wondered. He thought for a moment. The Knight bus worked last time. _Well, if it's not broke, don't fix it!_ He held up his wand and the purple bus came roaring to a stop.

*"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stanley Shunpike and will be your conductor this eve-"* He stopped and looked over at Harry holding a dog by the scruff of its neck. "Is that a dog?"

"Yes sir, this is my dog, Snuffles. Are dogs not allowed on the Knight Bus?" Harry asked, concerned. Heck, he hadn't done this before.

"Nope, your dog's fine. The more the merrier, that's what I always say." Stanley replied. He took the money Harry offered him and Harry made to sit down. "Where to?"

"The Leaky Cauldron," Harry answered.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, and went on like it had before. When they arrived at the Leaky, he was not surprised to find Cornelius Fudge there as he got off the bus.

*" _There_ you are, Harry,"* Fudge intoned, bustling around to get a good sight of Harry.

"Uhm, hello." Harry greeted, suddenly very concerned. He looked down at Sirius who was starting to growl at the minister.

"And who might this be?" Fudge asked the teen as he knelt down to get a better look at the dog. Harry's heart began to race. What could he say?

"This is my dog, Shadow. Shadow, be nice." Harry ordered, giving his godfather a quick pat on the hindquarters as the black dog growled and snapped at the Minister. He didn't know if the pat shut Sirius up or common sense did, but he was sure glad Sirius stopped.

Fudge showed Harry into the Leaky Cauldron, where they sat down and chatted for a little bit. Fudge gave the same little speech he had previously, and Harry feigned interest. He was grateful when Fudge took his leave, and Harry closed the door to his rented room behind the robust gentleman.

Harry looked over at Sirius, still in dog form.

"Okay, Sirius, you can come out now." Harry assured. The dog looked at him like he had grown a second head, but soon complied. Fairly shortly, he had a room full of escaped felon on his hands. He then murmured into his wrist-galleon, "Found Padfoot. Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron."

He had to stifle a laugh when he heard Draco's voice coming back at him. "Who the heck's Padfoot?"

"Come to the Leaky Cauldron and find out!" Harry replied.

Meanwhile, Sirius sat down. He was very confused. How did Harry know who he was? Who was Harry talking to? What was going on?

Harry looked over at Sirius as he heard the first pop sound.

"Don't worry, we'll explain soon." Harry promised as Hermione rushed into the room.

"Sirius!" She cried as she ran to hug him. Sirius, though confused, was never one to refuse a hug from a pretty girl, and graciously accepted the hug from Hermione. At that point, another pop sounded and Draco came walking in, staring dumbfoundedly at Hermione gushing over a ragged and tired-looking Sirius Black. Draco stopped and quickly shut the door and put a silencing charm up. The last thing Harry Potter needed was to be found with a convicted mass murderer hidden in his room.

Draco then turned around and exclaimed, "What in the WORLD is going on?"

"I was just about to ask that same thing," Sirius agreed, looking confused and confounded. Hermione finally realized what she was doing and let go of the man, brushing invisible dirt off of her shirt and skirt, trying to make the awkward situation less awkward.

"I think we should tell him." Harry announced to Draco and Hermione. Sirius quirked an eye brow.

"What? Harry, no!" Hermione argued. Draco remained silent. He was NOT about to get in the middle of Harry and his godfather, but he did NOT want to debate Hermione.

"He could prove useful, and I will not allow my godfather to spend the whole year starving off in a cave somewhere." Harry refuted.

"But Harry, remember what," she looked over at Sirius and whispered, " _they_ said. We really cannot risk telling him. Back me up, Draco." Draco shook his head resolutely. Hermione sighed. "FINE! Go tell the whole world, while you're at it," she grumbled. "See if I care." She walked over to a corner of the room, crossed her arms, and sat down.

Sirius had had enough.

"WHAT is going ON here?" Sirius yelled. Draco suddenly felt very glad he had put up the silencing charm.

"Sirius, you may want to sit down for this." Harry suggested. Sirius sat down on the side of the bed. Draco sat down in the desk chair. Harry hemmed and hawed for a moment. What was he to say? Well, maybe he should get the worst part over first. "We're time travelers."

There was a moment of silence. And another. And another. Finally, Sirius stood up.

"Harry, I think _you_ need to sit down. Now, I'm going to call some very nice people in green robes that are going to come and take you to a very nice place where I know you won't hurt yourself." Sirius promised as he slowly maneuvered over to Harry.

"He's not crazy. Well, he's not lying. I can't say he's not crazy…" Draco said, as he blocked the door.

"Hey!" Harry defended. "I'm not crazy!"

"Quirrellmort?"

"Well, you can't say…"

"Basilisk?"

"That wasn't entirely…"

"We have a convicted mass murderer hiding in your room!"

"Fine, I'm nuts, but can we please get on the same page here." Harry finally agreed.

"We really are time travelers." Hermione piped up.

"Okay, let's say you're time travelers…" Sirius started.

"It would explain why I knew you were Padfoot." Harry finished.

"But that could be…"

"And how I'm not taking you straight to Azkaban."

"But, that's not…"

"And why I know Remus is a werewolf."

Sirius stopped. This kid seemed to know everything. But, time travel? Really? And the first thing the kid did was pick him up off the street and drag him to the Leaky Cauldron?

"Why? Why contact me?" Sirius asked.

"Because, like I said, I don't want you starving in a cave somewhere. I know you're innocent. I know you did not rat on my parents. No pun intended, by the way." Harry chuckled.

"No, the real rat is waiting for us back at the Burrow." Hermione added, rolling her eyes in disgust.

"Okay, okay, I believe you three." Sirius took a good look at Draco. He squinted his eyes a moment and came closer to the blond. "You're Lucius Malfoy's son, aren't you?"

"Well, I guess I am cursed with that moniker, aren't I?" Draco moaned. He held out his hand to the older man. "Draco Malfoy."

"Sirius Black." Sirius replied, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, cousin."

"Don't remind me." Draco murmured as he resumed his post in front of the door.

"So, what made you come back in time. It's an illegal act, you know. Not that I care." Sirius quickly added.

"Well, last time around, we inadvertently killed all of wizarding kind. Fate and Time decided to give us another go." Harry explained.

"So, how do I help to stop the end of wizarding kind?" Sirius asked.

"Well, you don't. Not really. I just don't want to spend five minutes with you and then see you get killed in the Ministry of Magic." Harry replied.

"What?" Sirius yelped.

So, the three of them described, in detail, what happened last time around. They started with first year up until this coming year and went on to explain what Fate and Time had said.

"What can I do to help?" Sirius asked.

"Stay out of the way and go to Grimmauld Place?" Hermione suggested hopefully.

"Actually…" Harry started.

"No, Harry, no. Whatever you're thinking, no." Hermione interrupted.

"No, wait a minute, Mione. Let him talk." Draco rebuffed.

"We could take him to Hogwarts with us. He could go as Padfoot." Harry offered. Sirius looked at him hopefully.

"And what will happen when Remus sees him and recognizes him?" Hermione countered.

"What if we dyed his hair blond?" Harry suggested.

"Yeah, actually that could work. Once, James jokingly died my hair neon pink as a prank. When I turned into Padfoot-to attack him-I was completely pink!" Sirius recollected wistfully. Hermione sighed again.

"Fine, it looks like I am outvoted this time." Hermione mumbled. "But, if we're taking you to Hogwarts, we need to set some boundaries."

"Okay, boundaries. I can try boundaries." Sirius promised.

"First, you cannot kill Peter Pettigrew." Hermione listed. Sirius muffled a groan.

"Second, you cannot prank my godfather." Draco added. Sirius looked confused.

"Who is your godfather? Why would I prank him?" Sirius asked innocently.

"Severus Snape," Draco replied sternly.

"Snivelous? What's he doing at Hogwarts?" Sirius complained.

"First of all, you will not use that name with him, Padfoot. He is the reason we got as far as we did in the war and he deserves our respect, no matter that we think of him personally. Second, he is the Potions Master." Harry explained carefully.

Sirius sighed. "Fine, what's number three?"

"Third, you can't tell Moony." Harry finished.

"What? I can't tell Moony? But I have to! I have to tell him I'm sorry. I should have never expected him to be the spy! How could we not have figured out that the _rat_ would _rat_ on us?" Sirius argued.

"Sirius, we have to let things play out. They have to go as close to similar as possible; otherwise, Time will get upset." Harry explained.

"Which is why we're bringing the escaped convict to Hogwarts with us." Hermione mumbled angrily. Harry scowled at her.

"Just because we have to allow the broad brushstrokes to remain the same, doesn't mean the details must." Harry defended.

They all stopped for a moment. Sirius looked at the three teens staring at him intently.

"Fine, I won't tell Moony." He agreed.

* _The Prisoner of Azkaban_ p. 33, 42


	29. Hair Dye and Surprise

Hair Dye and Surprise

"Alright, now that we have that settled, what are we going to do next?" Harry asked.

"Dye my hair?" Sirius suggested, "There is one specific reason my Animagus form took to the coloring it did and the only thing we could come up with was that it was _muggle_ hair dye."

"Might we ask why you were dyeing your hair in the first place?" Draco queried.

"Well, I had just been disowned and I looked far too much like a Black for my taste, so I was going to change my look. That was after I realized that the tattoos and piercings did nothing to my actual appearance. So, I wanted to go a little lighter, perhaps an amber or red cinnamon. But James switched the two boxes and I didn't notice until my hair was completely pink." Sirius stated observing the three teenagers who tried to hold back various forms of laughter. He smirked and looked toward Hermione. "I would send Malfoy out but I bet he's less than useless in the muggle world. Would you mind getting some blond hair dye, miss?" Draco looked offended, but agreed with his statement.

"Can do, Mister Black!" Hermione exclaimed and rushed out of the room, probably to find the nearest drugstore with hair dye.

"Mr. Black, gosh no, that was my father. The next time I hear someone refer to me like that, let it be at my funeral. "Sirius pleaded. Harry frowned. Sirius smiled in apology to the joke. "Alright our second order of business, what time is it?" he asked Harry.

"About 6 o'clock in the morning, why?" Harry answered. Draco's eyes went wide.

"Merlin! I have to go! I didn't let Uncle Sev know I was leaving. He'll KILL me if I'm not there when he gets up! I'll come back later, I promise. Bye." Draco yelled as he rushed out the door and _Apparated_ away.

Sirius chuckled," Uncle Sev?" he mocked. Harry rolled his eyes. Hermione came back with the hair dye soon after.

"First comes first. You need to clean yourself up." She announced as she walked into the room.

"Yeah, shower's in there and I can go buy you some clothes quickly. Also, you might want to shave and get a haircut. 'Mione's great with scissors. She cut my hair all of seventh year- also known as the camping trip from hell." Harry, too, rushed out of the room. He ran to Gringotts, got to his vault, got some money, left, and went straight for 'Madame Malkins'.

Meanwhile, Sirius had gotten a shower and shaved, but refused to be anywhere near Hermione with scissors.

"I don't care! I like my hair this long and you can't stop me. I am 20 years older than you, young lady. I will not be treated like a child!" Sirius whined.

"Then come over here and stop acting like a big baby!" she demanded, finally persuading the man-child to sit in a chair and let her cut his hair. When it was finally over with, he flinched as she handed him a mirror.

"Alright, it's not that bad. Thanks" he grumbled, seeing as she only cut it to a little below shoulder length. Hermione smirked. Harry came back with a fresh pair of robes for Sirius to put on. They were plain black, but resizable so they fit Sirius perfectly. "I also should go to Gringotts at some point today for money, so we can get you a new wardrobe, Harry. Now that I am head of the Black family, I have access the Black family vault. Then, we can get whatever you want as long as you don't have to wear those oversized clothes of yours." He directed towards the boy in question.

"I can buy my own clothes, Padfoot." Harry told him.

"Then, why haven't you?" Sirius asked, but he got no reply. Hermione dried Sirius' hair with a spell and sat him down to have his hair colored. Harry thought for a moment.

"I'm hungry, should I get us three some food? I know you must be starved, Padfoot." Harry wondered.

"Yes, I am. Beyond starved, in fact. However, I'm far too undernourished. I'm not even sure my stomach can handle food." Sirius explained gravely.

"I guess you're right. I am going to get 'Mione and me food. I think I'm also going to fire call for Remus to come over. At least to make sure he doesn't have a heart attack when he finds out I'm here and not at the Dursleys." Harry clarified. Sirius perked up.

"You're going to get Moony?" Sirius got ecstatic at the thought of seeing his old friend. He leaned forward but Hermione pulled him back by his hair.

"Yes. They have this weird relationship where Remus acts like his overbearing mother. Now, sit back." She commanded. Sirius snickered at the thought, but felt confused.

"That doesn't make sense. Remus isn't necessarily the nurturing type. He never even held Harry, just kind of stayed out of everyone else's way so he wouldn't be asked." Sirius thought aloud.

"Well, a lot has changed over time. It's not as if you've been in touch with him for the past twelve years." Harry stated. Sirius grimaced.

"Yeah, I suppose not." He remarked. Harry went downstairs and saw Remus rush in. W _ell, I don't have to fire call him,_ Harry thought.

"Harry James Potter. What in the world are you doing here? You are meant to be at the Dursleys! It's not safe for you to be out of that house, young man." Remus lectured as he pulled Harry into a breath-taking hug, and not the good kind.

"Remus, I'm fine. But I had to leave. I thought I was a criminal until I got here and the minister cleared things up." Harry lied into Remus' shoulder. _Only sort of,_ he assured himself. When Remus let Harry go, he searched him for any visible cuts, scrapes, or bruises. Satisfied that there were none, he pulled Harry into another hug.

"I know, Prongslet. I just got scared when I saw the paper this morning. Do you want something to eat?" Remus inquired

"Yeah, it is what I came down here for." Harry snickered as Remus ordered them food. They talked for a while-while they ate-and Remus informed Harry of the dangers of going out on the streets unsupervised. Harry smiled but internally rolled his eyes. He appreciated that there was someone to worry about him relentlessly, but Remus for one had enough to worry about, and he went a little over the top. Harry thanked Remus incessantly for the gift, and reminded himself that he should give Sirius chocolate when the man was up for it, but that also reminded him to ask about something.

"Remus, what would you feed an extremely malnourished dog?" Harry pondered. Remus' eyes widened and brow raised at the randomness of the question.

"That depends, how big and old is the dog, and why are you asking?" Remus queried.

Harry thought for a while. _What can I tell him without him becoming too suspicious?_ All the sudden a bleach blond dog with brown eyes came rushing down to Harry, followed by a flustered Hermione. Harry looked at her confused until he realized what must have happened.

"Shadow!" Hermione yelled. Remus looked at her surprised, but more to the fact that he had a yellow dog practically on his lap.

"Hello, Hermione. What are you doing here?" he asked, wondering how she got here so quickly when he had only just found out about Harry himself. "Shadow?" he wondered, seeing as the dog was white.

"We are still working on the name." Harry excused. Hermione looked panicked.

"Hello, Mister Lupin, I… uh…. My parents and I are staying over so that we could get my school things today. I saw Harry when he got here with, this dog here, and I have been helping him with…" Hermione lied, looking to Harry for help.

"Feeding him. We fed him some ham last night, but he threw it up and we think it's because he is too starved. I found him down the road when I was running away last night and I have decided to keep him. "Harry explained. _Well, it's not a complete lie_ , He thought.

"Well I can help with that, he needs to start with some lighter food, perhaps soup or broth. I can talk with Tom to arrange something. As for you keeping him, have you thought about what Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are going to say?" Remus speculated.

"Um… I'm Harry Potter. I have defeated Voldemort three times and I'm barely thirteen. I think that gives me some leverage." Harry assumed. Padfoot licked Remus on the face and he laughed.

Harry whispered to Hermione, glad Padfoot was distracting Remus. "Why does he have brown eyes?"

"I thought he'd be too recognizable with silver eyes. You know, due to the fact dogs tend to not have silver eyes." Hermione hissed sarcastically.

Before they could continue with their conversation, Draco walked into the Leaky Cauldron, looking flushed and slightly annoyed. It did not take long to figure out why his countenance was thus. Coming in behind him was Professor Severus Snape, his customary glare in place.

"I do not care, Draco, if you think thirteen is old enough to go to Diagon Alley by yourself. I say otherwise, and I am your guardian until you are of age." Professor Snape scolded.

"I am of age." Draco whispered exasperatedly. Before he could reply to his godfather, Padfoot growled menacingly. Harry, in response, kicked the mutt in the side. He had to think quick, as Professor Snape would dig deeper than Remus if he called the dog Shadow. He might figure out that the dog had once been black, and that would lead to all kinds of questions he did not want to answer right now. He looked frantically and caught eyes with Draco.

"Dragon!" He snapped, startling both blonds.

"Yes?" Draco replied.

"Not you." Harry hissed. He pointed to the dog. "This Dragon."

"Since when is his name Dragon?" Draco bit back. Great, this would be all kinds of confusing. Harry moved over to Draco's side.

"Since when do you know what the dog's name is?" Harry whispered harshly. The blond blushed in embarrassment.

"We've been trying out different names. He seems to respond well to that one." Hermione suggested, saving the day. "I bequeath to you the name, Dragon." She announced, turning to Sirius.

"Now, Dragon, we don't growl at Professor Snape. He is our…professor." Harry scolded lamely.

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing with a dog? Why did you run away from Surrey? Is there something you wished to talk about?" Professor Snape wondered. Remus stood up.

"There shouldn't have been." Remus warned, raising his voice. Professor Snape rolled his eyes.

"And how would you know, Lupin?" Severus bit back.

"I threatened the Dursleys when I brought Harry home for the summer." Remus explained.

"You? Threatened? Hardly." Professor Snape scoffed.

"No, really. They were magicked to chairs and everything." Harry defended.

"You insolent fool! Did you really think that would help? If _anything_ , it would make them madder." Professor Snape snapped. Remus's eyes widened.

While this was going on, Severys the Snake decided to peek out of Draco's sleeve and wandered down towards the ground. Dragon, who had become utterly bored with the conversation, saw the snake out of the corner of his eye. Not ever liking snakes, he decided to chase it. He pounced onto Draco and started biting at his sleeve.

"No! Bad Dragon! What do you think you're doing?" Draco almost squealed as he tried to get away from the mutt. This brought everyone out of their own petty squabbling.

"Dragon! No!" Harry screamed out as he grabbed at the dog's scruff. Hermione stood in-between the two. Remus and Professor Snape both helped Draco get away from the dog and checked him over for scrapes and bruises. Thankfully, Severys was fine. "Bad Dragon! That is Draco's pet! We do not attack other helpless animals, not even snakes. Any type of snake."

Dragon whined but relented. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed.

"Are we sure that dog is safe?" He questioned Harry. He sighed and nodded.

"Yes, Professor Snape. He just needs to learn who is good and who is bad. He is just confused right now, but we'll set him straight. I promise." Harry replied, petting Dragon's head. So, first thing they needed to do was to tell Sirius not to attack anyone. Second thing they needed to do was buy a leash. Well, this was going to be fun.


	30. Dementors

Dementors

The following week found Harry, Hermione, Draco, Severys, Dragon, and Remus on the train going to Hogwarts. Knowing it had been the full moon the night before, the four left the werewolf to sleep while they had a lovely little conversation about last third year, while Hermione pet her new cat Crookshanks.

"So, I blew up Aunt Marge. I ran into you, though I thought you were just a scary, dark figure. You don't make very good first impressions, do you?" Harry paused, looking down into the brown dog eyes.

"Must run in the family." Draco murmured. Harry laughed and nodded.

"Anyway, I accidently hailed the Knight Bus…" Harry started. Draco interrupted.

"Wait, how do you _accidently_ hail the Knight Bus?" Draco inquired. Harry looked bewildered.

"I have no idea. I am about as muggle as they come when it concerns knowledge of magic. It was someone's great idea to take me out of my home, plop me into the magical world, and expect me to figure it out. I find that most of the time when I do the right thing, it is totally by accident." Harry explained.

"How in the world is hailing the Knight Bus ever the right thing?" Draco muttered.

"It's better than being attacked by a mass murderer." Harry figured. Sirius whined. Remus stirred. Everyone froze. They waited a moment and continued. "Sorry, Dragon, but that was everyone's thought process back then, even mine." Harry huffed.

"But that is all beside the point. The Weasleys and I came back from our various holidays and came to Diagon Alley to get our things. We stayed the night at the Leaky Cauldron, and that was when the Weasleys told Harry about you." Hermione explained. Sirius gave them a questioning look.

"How did the Weasleys get enough money to go on holiday, you ask?" Harry interpreted. "They won a lottery at Mr. Weasley's job." Draco perked up at this.

"Ooh, Ooh. May I insult him again? May I? May I? May I?" Draco pleaded with his friends. Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry smirked.

"Sure, Ferret, whatever floats your boat." Harry agreed. Again, Dragon gave him a questioning look. "Oh, you want to know why I call him Ferret? Well, a fake Mad-Eye Moody turned him into a ferret for a short period of time. You know, you made a quite cute ferret, Draco."

"I didn't know I was your type, Scarhead." Draco drawled. Harry smirked.

"Well, actually, I didn't mention that the first time around. Hermione…" Harry was effectively stopped from saying anything further by a hand that was not his own that was now firmly rooted over his mouth.

"What Harry was trying to say, is that you know he has his eye on another blonde. This one is a girl and in Ravenclaw." She teased. Dragon perked up at that, and Harry blushed red. He was about to complain, when he had a thought.

"Hey, we should go find Luna. We have not seen her since the train ride home." Harry mentioned. "She didn't come when I called on the communicators." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, that's a relief! She could have found out…" Hermione gasped. "Harry! Did you want to tell her about the whole time travel thing?" Harry looked sheepishly down at the ground.

"Maybe." He drawled childishly. However, they did not need to go searching for the blonde-haired girl, for she came right to them. They wondered if they had accidently placed an alarm on her name so that she came whenever they spoke her name, like Voldemort had tried to do.

"Hello all! I trust you all had a safe holiday and the wrackspurts didn't ruin it." Luna greeted. She put her glasses on to check if this statement was indeed true. She looked over at Remus and gasped. "Oh no! He's is tormented by them!" She lamented. She took her glasses off. "Who is he?" She motioned to Dragon.

"Oh, this is Dragon. He's my dog. I got him this year over holiday." Harry explained. "Dragon, this is Luna, our friend. She is someone we don't attack." He warned.

Luna smiled and sat down next to Professor Lupin. She opened her father's magazine and turned it upside down to read. Meanwhile, they continued talking about what they two "outsiders" needed to know about the coming year.

"Coming back to the point of this year, Mr. Weasley warned Harry that there was a mass murderer after him who had betrayed his parents. Harry went to Hogwarts, and everyone treated him like he was fragile. They wouldn't allow him to go to Hogsmeade. They didn't allow him outside alone. He felt strangled." Hermione described. Harry scowled.

"I can speak for myself, you know." He complained. She complied and allowed Harry to continue. "I ended up sneaking off anyway. I used Dad's invisibility cloak to escape to Hogsmeade."

"So that's who threw mud at me!" Draco interrupted. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but admit it. You deserved it." Harry demanded. Draco huffed.

"But…well…yeah." Draco ceded. "But that was still a new robe!"

"I'm sorry, Princess Malfoy." Harry teased. Draco huffed and crossed his arms, pouting. "The twins gave me the Marauder's Map and taught me how to use it…" Harry continued. Sirius popped into his human form.

"What? How did they find it? Who are these twins? Did they use it right? Did they use it well?" Sirius questioned excitedly. Hermione, Draco, and Harry all gaped.

"Padfoot!" Harry scolded, his voice squeaking with awkward hormonal voice changes. He quickly took a peek at Luna. She looked up, shrugged, and looked back down at her magazine. Hermione stood, flummoxed. Sirius turned back into Dragon, but she was highly concerned about the fact Luna had seen them with a highly dangerous criminal.

She waited a minute, but Luna never freaked out.

"Luna, what did you see when you looked up?" Hermione asked, thinking maybe she had been temporarily blinded or something.

"Sirius Black with blond hair seemingly excited over some map." Luna recited, not looking up from her magazine. All three gaped. She finally tore her attention away from the paper. "What? I'm loony, not stupid. You guys have been talking about a previous timeline every time I see you. I can put two and two together." She told them, looking from face to surprised face. "If it helps, I won't tell anyone you're time travelers, or that you're harboring a supposed fugitive. I figure if all that was said was true about him, you would be dead by now." Luna reasoned. Sirius turned back into a human.

"Hi, I'm Sirius Black. Are you the cute, blonde Ravenclaw I've heard all about?" He asked cheekily. Harry turned bright red. Luna giggled.

"Yes, I suppose I am. Nice to meet you, Mr. Black. I assume you are not really a mass murderer, or we would be dead by now. I hope you enjoy your stay in Gryffindor tower." She told him. Remus stirred again. Sirius turned back into Dragon.

It was then that the dementors began to invade the train cars. As before, when Harry came across one, he fainted. However, unlike before, he saw the final battle, stared over the unseeing eyes of all those who had died. He did not hear his mother's scream, but he did hear the crackling laugh of Voldemort before everything went dark.

He awoke to something wet on his cheek. He blinked several times and found Dragon licking him awake as Remus hovered over him. It was Remus who first noticed Harry was awake.

"Harry!" Remus began checking all over him for signs of harm while Dragon began to lick his hands and neck. Harry glared at his three friends, who could not help but laugh at the ensuing madness. All they needed was for Professor Snape to come down with bottles of potions and their joke would be complete. "Harry! Are you alright? The dementors came before I could stop them! You seem to have a very bad reaction to them. I need to tell Dumbledore that the dementors have to stay away from you. I mean, imagine if you had been on your broom when this had happened!" Remus began to rant as he force-fed Harry some chocolate. Dragon tried to steal some, too, but Remus stopped him. He hit Dragon on the nose. "No, chocolate's not good for dogs." Sirius whined and cowed, but accepted his fate.

They made it to the castle and Remus demanded that Harry have a thorough physical, much to Harry's disdain. Hermione and Draco doubled over in laughter, however, when Harry tried to escape and Remus took to hovering Harry over toward the hospital wing. The faithful Dragon followed along, prancing as he went.

As Hermione and Draco tried to compose themselves, McGonagall walked up and stood next to them. She stared at the mutt that was prancing happily next to Harry and Remus and scowled.

"And who is that?" She asked with disdain. Draco smirked.

"That's Dragon, Harry's dog." Draco informed her. Her scowl deepened.

"And we allow dogs now at Hogwarts?" The Professor questioned sarcastically.

"You allow Lupin." Draco muttered under his breath. However, Professor McGonagall-with her cat-like hearing-overheard this comment. Her eyes widened and she quickly shook her head to remind herself what she came there for.

"Miss Granger, will you come with me, please?" Professor McGonagall queried. Hermione looked over at her Head of House.

"Of course, Professor." She agreed. The two of them walked off toward Professor McGonagall's office.

"Hmm," Draco wondered. "I can only imagine what that is about." He shrugged and walked away, wondering when his friends would get supper. Oh well, he would save them some extra.


	31. Messing with Professors

Messing with Professors

Looking back, Harry might have made a mistake in allowing a Marauder back into his old hunting grounds. Although he kept his promise not to prank Professor Snape, they probably should have secured a promise that he would not make trouble for any other professors, staff, or students. To his credit, the first day's prank was not _technically_ his fault.

After everyone in the Gryffindor dorm had gone to bed that night, Sirius had changed back into human form and spent some time talking to Harry. Of course, Harry would never give up a chance to talk with his godfather, so he readily spent an hour in conversation with the animagus. During that time, Sirius casually mentioned that he thought his dog name was funny, since the Hogwarts motto was in fact "Never tickle a sleeping dragon." This had led Harry down a trail he probably should not have been thinking as he went to sleep.

The next morning, his plan decided, Harry jaunted out of bed and over to Draco's sleeping form. Draco was then awoken by Harry, tickling him mercilessly. The blond-not at all amused-grabbed his wand and hexed Harry away. Harry was busting up laughing.

"What was that for?" Draco shouted, trying to protect himself from a further attack.

"Well, you know, the school motto." Harry explained.

"What?" Draco replied angrily.

"Never tickle a sleeping dragon." Harry giggled, falling onto his bed. Draco threw a pillow at his friend's face.

"Yeah, _never_." Draco reminded him as he himself tried unsuccessfully to hold in his laughter.

"Since when do I follow the rules?" Harry asked, innocently. Now, Draco had to laugh. Dragon looked very proud of his godson's clever prank.

However, the rest of the pranks circling the school had Sirius' name all over them. First, there was the attempt at an innocent game of "tag" between Dragon and Professor McGonagall. To his credit, she may have been a bit more receptive if she had not been in her animagus form at the time, and he had not growled at her to start the game. In the end, though, he learned his lesson when he tried the same thing on Mrs. Norris and ended up coming back covered in scratches. How was he supposed to know Filch's cat fought dirty?

The next day, the Slytherins all curiously found themselves sporting either gaudy red or brilliant bronze hair as they walked out of their common room into the Great Hall. Professor Snape was stumped, but Professor Flitwick was both flummoxed and slightly amused at the fact he could not for the life of him change the hair back. To the Slytherins' relief, the dye job only lasted one day.

After that, specific targets found themselves at the wrong end of a prank of which they could figure no reason for. Ron woke up with donkey ears one day after he had told Harry to keep his mutt away from Scabbers. He claimed the dog looked on the rat with murderous rage, but he could not tell the Boy-Who-Lived why he thought so. Yet, the donkey ears stayed for only a few days before they turned back to normal.

A few days following the donkey ears incident, Professor McGonagall was peeved and slightly amused at the fact that she found cans of cat food randomly placed throughout her classroom and office. One time, she even found a note apologizing for an affront she seemed not to remember. What student had chased her around the castle this year?

The twins were called in after a particularly nasty prank was played on Argus Filch. Apparently, a yellow canary had begun to follow him around tweeting every time he opened his mouth. The twins looked awed and very tickled that the professors seemed to think them the geniuses behind the pranks.

"We truthfully tell you that we wished we had thought of these pranks…" Fred had started.

"The person who came up with them is a genius…" George had continued.

"Or a group of masterminds. We cannot rule out that this is a group affair." Fred had corrected his twin. The other had shrugged.

"Either way, it wasn't us." They had both promised before arising to leave. Before the door closed, George had turned around.

"Though we are honored to be considered in your quest to find the prankster." George had joked as they both bowed and the door closed.

Harry had more than an inkling of who was doing most of the pranking. After all, Dragon did have a whole eight hours a day that he was unsupervised. Harry had told Dragon that he needed to stop attacking the professors and student body. For several days, the pranks stopped.

While all this was occurring, Draco became incensed by the fact that he could be so easily replaced by Zabini and Finnegan. It had just so happened that at the first Care of Magical Creatures class, Zabini was attacked by Buckbeak the Hippogriff.

"He could only blame himself, really." Hermione stated as they walked down the corridor. Draco was lost in thought.

"Why was _this_ a fixed point? Why did _this_ have to happen?" Draco asked, more to himself than to his friends.

"Buckbeak has to die? I bet that was one of the things we shouldn't have changed last time." Harry reminisced. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't think he has to die." Hermione told him. Harry looked skeptically at her.

"Hermione, we already have to go through the Shrieking Shack a third time. Do you really want to do it over a fourth?" Harry asked her. Hermione sighed and shook her head. As they walked off, they never noticed the redhead walking behind them, perplexed as to what he had overheard. Ron thought to himself, _What in the world were they talking about?_

Remus had heard about the pranks randomly occurring throughout the school. To be honest, it caused him to feel some form of sentimentality as he listened to countless tales of golden-haired Slytherins or cat food infested classrooms. If Remus was truthful, he would even remind himself that those had been some of the exact pranks the Marauders had planned to play before they left school.

He began to question everything he knew, however, when on the first day after the first full moon at school, he found a cup of hot tea placed on his bedside table. At first, he thought it might have been Albus or even Minerva who had taken pity on him. Yet, when he tasted it, he realized it was just to his liking. The thing about all of this was, Remus was very particular in the way his tea was made, and the only people in the world who knew how to make it just right were the Marauders. This concerned him because half of them were supposedly dead.

This was when the pranks began. They started harmlessly enough. The next day after the full moon, Remus walked into his first class of the day-third year Slytherins and Gryffindors-to find his old stuffed animal, a stuffed bunny named Reginald. No, it was not a replica. It was the exact same bunny. Remus knew because the bow had a tear in it right where his paw had gotten stuck one full moon and it had ripped. He had given Reginald to Harry when the child was born, but they had not been able to find it in the rubble of Godric's Hollow.

He stared, eyes wide open, at the stuffed animal before him. The class laughed when he asked who put it there. They laughed even harder when Harry's dog, Dragon, barked in response. Remus just shook his head and began the lesson.

The next day, Remus found himself being followed. No, not by a person like Snape or even Albus Dumbledore. No, Remus was being followed by a floating, stuffed, black dog. The weird part of this was only he could see it. It began to scare him. The dog followed him _everywhere_. Every time he asked someone to help him get rid of it, they all looked at him concernedly. Professor Snape had even suggested he go to Madame Pomphrey and get his head examined.

Remus was not one to get overly worried. He tried his best to stay calm and let things handle themselves. However, he knew that something was really amiss when he found all of the classroom furniture stuffed into his office one morning. He nearly fainted. This just happened to be the last prank the Marauders had ever pulled on Professor McGonagall. Remus knew Sirius must be on the campus grounds. With his suspicions firm in his mind, he went to the one person he knew would do something about this.

"Yes, Lupin?" Professor Snape drawled as he opened the door.

"First of all, I want to apologize! I understand. I just…I understand." Remus whispered. He walked passed the potions professor and took a seat in the chair in front of Professor Snape's desk.

"Come in, Lupin. Have a spot of tea. Of course, you are welcome here. Yes, please sit down. I so do love your company." Professor Snape gushed sarcastically. Remus sighed.

"Severus, this is important. I think Black is on school grounds." Remus told him urgently. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Lupin," Severus huffed, "I am not usually the comforting type. Yet, as you seem so sure that _something_ is amiss here, I will tell you this once. Black could not get onto school grounds without getting caught. The headmaster would surely know the minute anyone untoward were to walk over the barriers of the school."

"That's just it! Nothing nefarious is going on!" Remus objected. He sighed. "The pranks-all the pranks-that have occurred since the start of school were ones that the Marauders had planned, but never accomplished. The cat food in Professor McGonagall's office, the canary following Filch, and even the Slytherin hair dye incident!" Severus rolled his eyes.

"You see those things as connected because you want to see them." Severus drawled, wondering to himself when he had become a bloody psychologist.

"But there are pranks happening to me. My old stuffed bunny Reginald showed up in my classroom…" Remus started. Snape stopped him.

"Stuffed bunny? Reginald?" Severus had to know. Remus rolled his eyes.

"I was five. Tell me, what were your stuffed animals' names at that age?" Remus questioned.

"Not Reginald." Severus rebutted. "Beside the point, continue."

"Then, there was a _black_ dog following me for a day." Remus listed.

"And that is connected to Black how?" Severus wondered, trying to figure out a way to get the werewolf out of his office so he could get some work done.

"Sirius…the constellation? And Black, his name. A black dog. He was very sentimental that way." Remus explained. Severus huffed.

"Anything else?" Severus asked, not knowing where this was going.

"Do you remember the senior prank on McGonagall?" Remus pondered. Severus looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Which one?" He responded.

"Where the classroom furniture all showed up in her office." Remus clarified. Severus nodded. "Well, now I can't move an inch in my own."

"I'm sure this is nothing more than a prank happy first year." Severus assuaged.

"A first year? You think a first year did _this_?" Remus rebutted. "Who could have known about that rabbit? How could a first year conjure a _black dog_?"

"Gifted student." Severus replied.

"Have you seen any so far?" Remus wondered, hoping maybe this was just the case.

"I work in potions, Lupin, not silly wand waving. If you find yourself poisoned, come to me and I will look into the matter seriously. Otherwise, GET OUT!" Severus demanded forcefully. Remus bowed his head sheepishly and walked toward the door.

Before he left he added, "Harry could be in danger." Severus slammed the door in his face. He held his head in his hands. How could he handle these two Gryffindors this coming year?


	32. The Fat Lady

The Fat Lady

The weeks leading up to Halloween went by very quickly. Harry had tried to convince Professor Dumbledore that Remus could sign his permission slip, but the lycanthrope categorically refused to go against the headmaster, even if he was still peeved at the man for allowing Harry to be at the Dursleys.

Harry did the appropriate amount of complaining and whining before "giving in". He told Draco and Hermione, though, that he still planned to go to Hogsmeade.

"Harry, no!" Hermione whined.

"Why not? The 'mass murderer' everyone is scared about is currently drooling on my bed, dreaming, supposedly, of chasing Pettigrew off a cliff. At least, that's what he tells me." Harry reminded her.

"But-but that's against the rules." Hermine complained. Draco rolled his eyes.

"You're fine with making Polyjuice in a girls' bathroom without the appropriate approval, don't shy away from sneaking a dragon out of school, and don't even bat an eye at sneaking into the restricted section, but this is where you draw the line? Harry having a little bit of fun?" Draco asked. Hermione huffed.

"It's for his own protection. Black may not be out to get him, but that does not mean that there are not other death eaters willing to line up to take his supposed place. Not only that, but dementors are flying over as we speak. What would Harry do if he found himself up against a dementor?" Hermione almost squealed.

"Use my patronus that I learned before anyone else knew about it?" Harry suggested like she was an idiot.

"And where did you learn this highly complicated, nearly impossible spell, Harry?" Hermione shot back.

"Professor Lupin…this…year. Oh, you mean, when someone asks me? Oh, I didn't think about that." Harry struggled. He hated when Hermione was right. "But that doesn't mean I can't go out under my invisibility cloak and get some candy or prank products from Zonko's." Dragon woke up to the last suggestion and came padding over to the group. He began licking Harry's face.

"Oh yes, the terrifying mass murderer who is currently liking his target's face." Draco drawled sarcastically as Hermione giggled. She sighed.

"I guess I can stay. I really should catch up with Remus anyway." Harry remembered. Dragon perked up. Harry shook his head. "No, not you. You'll go to another part of the castle where I know you won't expose yourself to your best friend." Draco winced.

"Uhm, Harry, wording. Wording, my friend, wording." Draco repeated. Harry looked up confused.

"What?" He asked, scrunching up his face. "Oh, eww. Draco, you knew what I meant. Get your mind out of the gutter." Dragon started gagging. The group laughed.

The day of Hogsmeade came and with it, came promises from Hermione and Draco to bring him back candy and pranks. He thanked them and hugged them before they left.

"Watch out for Black!" Harry warned jokingly. Hermione and Draco laughed and nodded before heading out. Harry then walked towards Professor Lupin's office. Dragon followed.

"Dragon, no. You cannot come with. Leave." Harry ordered. Dragon did so, but whined and showed his puppy dog eyes as he left.

Harry knocked on Professor Lupin's office door. The man opened it and welcomed him in.

"Ah, Harry! What a lovely surprise. I am sorry, again, about the fact you could not go to Hogsmeade today. Maybe next time, when I will be supervising." Remus suggested. Harry held back a moan as he thought of Mother Remus following him around, hovering.

"No, it's fine, Professor Lupin." Harry told him. Remus laughed.

"Harry, when we are alone, you may call me Remus. I was surprised your friends and you didn't have a little party again this year. Last year's was so great." Remus remembered. Harry sighed.

"That's actually why I came. I was wondering if you could tell me a story about my parents. I figured, since I'm stuck here, I might as well hold some sort of a memorial for them."

"Of course, Harry. Have I ever told you of when Lily finally agreed to go on a date with your father?" Remus asked.

"No, I don't think you have." He replied.

"Great! Well as I'm sure you know; your mother was quite against your father until about Christmas of sixth year. James had finally agreed to listen to our advice and stopped asking her out. He also stopped pranking with malicious intent. They became a sort of friends by the summer before seventh year and even wrote a little over the summer. When we found out your father, of all people, was set to be head boy, he had a new mindset. He had to be responsible. I, for one, never thought it would happen. I even said the day James started acting responsibly I would kiss the giant squid. Let me tell you the giant squid wasn't very happy. "

"When we got to school, some friends and I made our bets to when they would either kill each other or kiss each other. Being head girl and head boy, they had to spend almost every waking moment together. Looking back, I wonder if Professor Dumbledore hadn't had some hand in nefariously plotting relationships. Suddenly, James realized Lily might have feelings for him. He started planning different ways to ask her out.

"Finally, it was the big day. He walked into the Great Hall. However, Lily asked him out before he could even say 'Hi'. He stuttered. He didn't know what to do. In all his planning, he had not dreamed of her asking him out. He said, 'No, that's not how it's supposed to happen.' She looked deflated and walked out of the Great Hall. When James had finally recovered his mind, he went after her. The rest is history." Remus finished. Harry smiled.

"She really asked him out?" Harry asked. Remus smiled and chuckled a bit.

"Threw him through a right loop. I thought Sirius was about to shout 'Ten points to Gryffindor'," Remus stopped, looking sad. He swallowed. "Enough about the past. It would not do to look at the past and forget to live in the here and now."

"Thanks, Remus. I really love hearing about my parents. I really appreciate hearing anything I can about them." Harry told his professor. The professor was about to say more, when Professor McGonagall burst into Remus' office.

"The Fat Lady has gone missing!" She informed them. They both rushed after her. Harry had a sinking feeling in his gut. What had Sirius done?

They arrived to find the portrait slashed and Dragon cowering under Harry's stern gaze. All the other Gryffindors gathered around the portrait hole, wondering how they were to get in. Hermione looked just as annoyed as Harry did, but Draco was confused.

"What's going on? Why is everyone so upset?" Draco asked his friends.

"Dragon!" Harry muttered. The dog looked even more cowed. Right then, Professor Dumbledore arrived.

"What seems to be the matter here?" Dumbledore asked.

"That's what I would like to know." Draco mumbled. They all looked around for the Fat Lady, finding her cowering in the portrait she ran to hid in last time.

"I saw him! It was Sirius Black! Sirius Black was here, trying to get in! It was awful!" The Fat Lady cried. Now Draco understood. He glared at the whimpering dog, who looked very sorry for what he had done. Remus looked perturbed.

"Sirius Black? In the castle?" Remus caught Harry's eye and put a protective arm around the lad.

"What exactly happened?" Dumbledore asked her.

"I changed the password today, as it was the last of the month. He came up and muttered the previous password. I told him he had said the wrong word, and then I recognized him. I tried to scream, but he had a knife." The Fat Lady told them. Hermione looked over at Dragon.

"Where did you get a knife?" She whispered. Dragon just whined.

"He became enraged and started attacking my portrait. I had to jump out of it to protect myself. Once I was gone, he ran away. I will never forget his blond head retreating toward the stairs." The portrait cried. Harry looked over at Remus.

"Blond?" Remus mouthed, his face scrunched up in confusion. Harry growled and looked again at Dragon. He motioned for Hermione and Draco to come with him. He grabbed the scruff of Dragon's neck and pulled him toward the Room of Requirement, glad the Fat Lady was such a great distraction. When they made it to the hallway, they were only half-surprised to meet Luna.

"I heard something happened over near Gryffindor Tower. The rumor is Sirius Black has been spotted." Luna informed them, smiling. Meanwhile, Draco paced the length of the hall and opened the door. He motioned for the ladies to go first, which they did. He then let Harry drag in Dragon before he closed the door.

"You do realize they'll pitch a fit when they notice you're gone." Hermione spoke responsibly. Harry ignored her.

"Change. Now." Harry ordered. Meanwhile, Draco was freaking out.

"It's over! We're doomed! We will all be sentenced to Azkaban for harboring a fugitive. I had so much left to live for. I was going to get married, have children, see my parents off to Azkaban…" Draco continued. Hermione sighed.

"Draco! Snap out of it! No one is going to be sent to Azkaban for harboring a fugitive." Hermione promised, putting a hand on his shoulder. He leaned into the touch. His face seemed to relax instantly. He sighed.

"Okay, okay. I'm good!" Draco announced. Luna smiled. By this time, Sirius was once again a human.

"Explain." Harry demanded. Sirius cowed.

"In my defense, I was left unsupervised." The man started. "I was left alone with my thoughts. It was the worst timing possible, really, considering the fact that Pettigrew was up there, nibbling on some cheese, not a care in the world. The people he betrayed twelve years ago will never have that luxury!" Harry looked curious.

"My parents liked cheese?" He asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Not the time, Harry." She reminded him.

"Anyway, I wanted him to pay for what he did." Sirius told them.

"He will. One day, he will." Harry promised. Sirius smiled at him.

"He will, he will." Sirius assured himself. The group nodded and Luna decided to hug Sirius. Hermione followed. Soon, the group was in one big hug, remembering and mourning that day.


	33. The Marauder's Map

A/N: All familiar content taken from _Prisoner of Azkaban_ pg. 190-198

The Marauder's Map

Dragon was wagging his tail in ecstasy. Hermione had promised to take him with her to watch the Quidditch Match. He would finally get to see his godson fly. He had always hoped to be the one to teach him (he and James used to have fights over the topic), but things had gotten in the way of those dreams. Now, though, he was able to watch proudly as his godson flew in the sky, not a care in the world.

He could also admit that his cousin was a decent flyer as well, and an excellent chaser. He smiled thinking about his godson and cousin. They really were good friends, and they balanced each other out so well. Draco was the one to keep Harry on track with schoolwork and the like, while Harry reminded the blond to have fun. They also cared for each other in a way only brothers could. In fact, the two reminded him a lot of James and himself.

Dragon's heart nearly stopped, however, when Harry fell off his broom. He was glad to know Remus and Dumbledore were there to save the boy, but he was also glad Draco had the presence of mind to save the broom.

When the match was over (they had won, this time), Hermione, Harry, and Draco went off to the Room of Requirement. Dragon followed along gaily. Hermione was furious.

"Harry was plummeting to his death and your first thought was 'Save the Broom'?" Hermione lectured. Draco rolled his eyes.

"He didn't die last time. Professor Lupin and Dumbledore were there to keep anything from going wrong. This way, we still have our seeker _and_ his broom. I didn't much fancy the idea of looking around for splinters all afternoon." Draco drawled. Dragon turned into Sirius.

"Great catch, Prongslet! You're even better than James was!" Sirius congratulated. Harry blushed.

"I knew I would pass out soon from the dementors, so I figured I should catch the snitch quickly. This way, Cedric isn't complaining that it was an unfair match and that we should hold a rematch." Harry explained.

"Cedric Diggory seems like quite the 'Prince Charming', doesn't he?" Draco teased. Hermione looked off into the distance.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised Cho was in love with him." She agreed. Draco looked jealous.

"Who's Cho?" Sirius asked. Before any could answer, the door opened. Sirius changed back into Dragon in a flash. Luna came traipsing in, followed by an irate Remus. He went straight to Draco.

"Of all the things you could have done, you went after the _broom_? Harry could have died!" Remus scolded. Draco looked unaffected.

"But he didn't. I knew you were there. I knew you would protect him. I was just thinking of the fact that Harry would kill me if I let his broom get destroyed in the Whomping Willow, where it seemed to be headed." Draco informed the werewolf. He calmed down slightly.

"As long as you were thinking about Harry, as well." Remus decided. Luna went and hugged Harry.

"I'm glad you're alright Harry!" She exclaimed. Harry smiled widely and accepted the hug willingly. Remus rushed over to Harry, pulled him out of his hug with Luna, and began checking him over.

"Remus, I'm fine." Harry promised the overbearing wolf. Remus huffed.

"You fell seventy feet in the air, Young Man. You could have died!" Remus worried. Harry sighed.

"But I didn't. Everything is fine, Remus." Harry assured him. Remus hugged the boy, and they found themselves in another group hug, again.

A few weeks later found Harry extremely bored as Hermione and Draco prepared themselves for another Hogsmeade weekend. The snow had just begun to fall and Dragon began to whine, desiring to go out and play in the snow.

"Dragon, no. You will get all wet and then I'll have to give you a bath again. Remember last time? It didn't go very well." Harry reminded him. They were the only ones in the dorm, so Sirius transformed.

"I told you, I can do it myself!" Sirius argued. Harry looked flustered.

"And what do I tell my roommates? 'My dog is giving himself a bath. Don't go into the bathroom'?" Harry suggested sarcastically.

"Well, there are such things as disillusionment charms." Sirius grumbled. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Harry, are you sure you don't want us to stay here with you?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"You know I'll be out there soon. The twins just have to give me the map, remember?" Harry told her.

"When I'm innocent, I really need to meet these twins." Sirius thought. Then, he got excited. "Oh, the things I can do when we get the map back…"

"You will do nothing." Hermione scolded as she finished packing up. "We can't have Remus figuring out your out and about here. We need to keep a low profile, and that includes no pranks from you."

"Fine, I'll just have to train my protégé." Sirius decided. Harry looked up.

"Which one?" Harry enquired. Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, my cousin over here is quite devious, but I was thinking more along the lines of you, Harry." Sirius teased. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Please, teach me your ways, oh great one. I would love to end up in Azkaban along with you." Draco drawled as he continued packing. Sirius stuck out his tongue at him.

"My pranks aren't that bad." Sirius defended. Draco looked back at the animagus.

"One nearly killed my godfather." Draco rebutted.

"That wasn't so much a prank as I wanted to get him off our backs." Sirius argued.

"By killing him?" Draco returned. Sirius cowed.

"I wasn't going to be the one killing him, technically. And I didn't want him _killed_ , just scared enough to leave us alone." Sirius informed them. Draco sighed.

"Well, you still should apologize for that, you know. Really, all of it. It was quite a rotten thing to do." Harry added before Draco could say something.

"He started it!" Sirius whined. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"How did he start it?" He asked his godfather. The man shrugged.

"He was in Slytherin. Those snakes deserved it." Sirius claimed. Draco held Severys close to him.

"Hey!" He wailed. He pet the snake several times. "Don't worry, he didn't mean it, baby." He assured Severys. Sirius looked over at Harry.

"That kid has some problems." Sirius mentioned. Harry stared for a moment before nodding in agreement.

A very short time later, Harry was being manhandled by two redheads while his blond dog happily followed along. The twins began talking to Harry.

"Get your hands off me. Stop that this instant." Harry demanded.

"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go to Hogsmeade." Said Fred. They took Harry into an empty classroom. Once the door was closed, George began to speak.

"Early Christmas present for you, Harry." He told the boy.

Fred brought out the map. "This is the key to our success." They quickly explained how the map worked, while Dragon went into a conniption fit. Once they were done, they left. Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak.

"Ready to go to Hogsmeade, Dragon?" Harry asked. Dragon barked.

They quickly headed off to the town, both hidden underneath the invisibility cloak. They soon found Hermione and Draco talking near the Three Broomsticks. Dragon could not contain himself any longer, so he barked. Draco startled and looked around, while Hermione glared in their direction.

"At least have the decency to leave the dog at home." Hermione scolded. Harry rolled his eyes and followed them over to where they had hidden last time.

"Got the map?" Draco asked. He was excited. He had heard of the map in passing several times, but he had never gotten to see it for himself.

"Yep, it's right here." Harry told them as he pulled it out. Draco gazed at the parchment with interest.

"Amazing. How do you open it?" Draco queried. Harry smiled.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry chanted as he pointed his wand at the map. The map unfolded and began to spread out, showing the location of every person still at Hogwarts castle.

"Cool!" Draco whispered. He looked down toward the dungeons and found his godfather's name in the potions lab. Of course, that's where he would be. Then, he followed to see where Luna was. She seemed to be in the library, which was also not a surprise. Then, he looked over at Gryffindor Tower. "Uhm, Harry. I don't think anyone else should get this."

"Of course not, but why do you say so?" Harry questioned. Draco pointed to the boys' dorm, where one name stood out. "Yeah, Peter Pettigrew. We all know he's there, but in a few months, he'll be gone."

"What about Sirius?" Draco pointed out. Harry shrugged.

"How did they not think about Pettigrew? I mean, the map has said for three years now that their brother has been sleeping with someone who's supposed to be long dead. They're not the most observant bunch." Harry explained. Draco nodded.

"Well, this is all well and good, but _I_ know I have Christmas shopping to get done. Meet you at the Three Broomsticks?" Hermione offered. Draco and Harry nodded in agreement. "Alright, see you soon." They all went their separate ways, trying to think about what the others wanted. This was sure going to be an interesting Christmas.


	34. Christmas Third Year

Christmas Year Three

Harry looked at all the wrapped presents on his bed. He had a book on astronomy for Draco, awizarding romance novel for Hermione, and chocolate and a book on care of magical creatures (it was the newest edition written by Newt Scamander that had an entire section praising werewolves) for Remus _._ _Merlin! I need to get more interesting friends_ Harry thought to himself as he looked at all the books he had wrapped. He then took the chew toy he had gotten for Dragon and the stuffed dragon he got for Draco and thought about what he was missing. _Only have to get that necklace and music crystal for Luna… wait! Wasn't I going to look for something for Professor Snape. I have a feeling he thinks I'm taking his gifts for granted. But what should I get him?_ Harry thought for a few more moment and then decided he needed Remus to take him to Gringotts for more money. He could look in Diagon Alley for something for the Professor. He walked down the hall, Dragon following at his heels, to Remus' living quarters.

Harry knocked on the portrait and waited. Remus opened the door and smiled when he saw his visitor.

"What do I owe the pleasure?" He asked jokingly, motioning for Harry to come in. He pet Dragon on the head in greeting, and Dragon accepted with pleasure, licking the hand petting him.

"Remus, can you take me to Gringotts? I underestimated the cost of Draco's present and don't have enough with me to buy what I want for Luna. I also wish to look for something for Professor Snape. The past two years he gave me something for Christmas and even gave me a birthday present this year. I also need your opinion to what would be appropriate seeing as he is my professor." Harry explained.

Remus smiled. "That's very kind of you, Harry. Can I ask what he gave you? It might help to see what you should give him in return. As for Gringotts, I can ask Professor McGonagall. I should think my taking you would be alright, but I don't want to overstep my bounds." Remus explained. Harry nodded in understanding.

"Uh… Professor Snape gave me a book that my Mother had given him. It was a fourth-year charms textbook that had belonged to mum. He also gave me a journal, a picture of mum, and a 'Potions for Dummies' book." Harry listed. Remus chuckled at the last item.

"He would, wouldn't he?" Remus shook his head and smiled, "Well, obviously, he will be looking for something with more sentiment, or perhaps a 'Quidditch for Dummies' book. You could find both, of course, but I would recommend the sentiment, not the joke." Remus informed. Sirius whined. It was if to say, 'Y _ou take all the fun out of it, Moony.'_ "Let's go see Minerva, then, shall we?" he continued.

They walked to the Transfiguration teachers office. Remus told Harry stories of how they would be constantly trying to outwit their professor and prank her. Seemingly, it had only worked a few times. Remus' pranks were the only shenanigans thought out enough for them to not get caught, but he only would play them if the Marauders begged him on their hands and knees. The rest of the time he was only along for the ride.

They arrived at the Professor's office. Remus knocked on the door before entering.

"Minerva." He greeted.

"Remus, and Mr. Potter. What brings you here?" She inquired

"Harry here still hasn't finished all his Christmas shopping and wishes to go to Diagon Alley to get money and any last-minute gifts. He asked me if I could take him. I said it should be alright but that I should ask you, since you _are_ his head of house." Remus clarified with a charming smile. She looked contemplative for a moment.

"Oh, alright." She started carefully. "But if you see any sign of Black or trouble, then you are to bring him back immediately, whether shopping is done or not!" she enforced upon him strongly.

"But of course. Come on Harry. Good Day, Minerva." He bid as he motioned for Harry to leave. They walked together to the gate and apparated to Gringotts. They went to the vault to get Harry's money, and Harry insisted they look around for a while.

"Why? You have your money. We should get going if we are to find something for Severus." Remus instructed.

"But you said something with sentiment. I don't share a lot of sentiment with Professor Snape, so how am I going to buy something sentimental? When they cleaned out my Mum and Dad's house, most of it went here, right?" Harry asked. Remus thought for a moment.

"It should be. Whatever I didn't keep automatically went here. Unless Dumbledore gave some things to Severus, which I _highly_ doubt." Remus notified. Harry looked pointedly at Remus. Remus gave a nod of understanding, and started looking through a couple documents.

"Letters, financial statements, healer textbooks, defense books," Remus listed. Upon finding a baby book, he looked reminiscent and laughed emotionlessly. "This was your favorite book. You were constantly begging me to read it to you. 'Moo'ey, Moo'ey, wead'" Remus imitated. He opened the book and began skimming it. He shook his head to get rid of the memory. Harry looked at him.

"Why? Did you read better than anyone else?" Harry interrogated lightly.

"Apparently, I did the voices better, yes." Remus smiled gravely, still looking in the book. Harry went back to looking through a pile of documents. He looked back of at Remus who seemed to be struggling with some book labeled Potions. He went over to see what was wrong.

"Is there a problem?" Harry asked, concerned with Remus' scrunched up face.

"Don't know really. This book, probably ancient runes or something. All I can decipher is gibberish." Remus said knowledgeably.

"Really, because it looks like a Potions textbook to me." Harry said taking the book. "Yup definitely a Potions book. Really old, if you ask me." He continued.

Remus picked up a note that went with it. His eyes went wide in understanding.

"You have got to be kidding me." He gasped.

"What?" Harry queried. Remus dumbfoundedly handed over the note.

 _Notes on Potions Journal of Salazar Slytherin_

 _For Severus,_

 _I found this in what I think is a secret passage way. I should do more research on the place. I hope this can be used as an olive branch. Perhaps a dove depending on what part of the metaphor you're looking at._

 _Happy Christmas_

 _Lily Evans_

 _P.S. I know you meant no harm._

 _06-12-77_

Harry stood there. _This is exactly what I was looking for_ he thought.

"Perfect." Harry decreed.

"It explains why I can't understand it and you can." Remus smirked. "Shall we go then? It looks like you'll have a lot of work to do." He continued.

They finished up the rest of their shopping and walked back to Hogwarts. They were met at the gate by Dragon. Harry tucked the book closer to him and they made their journey back to the castle.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. He smirked back at her. She was observing the book and Draco was practically drooling over it.

"I know right. Perfect, huh?" Harry crowed.

"Harry! This should go to a historian! Do you realize what an amazing discovery this is? If you can translate it, it would probably be incredibly helpful in potions discovery's and things!" She shrieked

"Who cares about the advancement in potions? Do you realize what this is? It is the personal potions journal of Salazar Slytherin! Yes, potions advancement is important, but _Salazar_ _Slytherin_! Gosh, Harry, you're going to make my present to Uncle Sev seem so miniscule compared to this!" Draco complained. Sirius sat in the corner of the room, frustrated to see _his_ godson gushing over a present for Severus Snape.

"Who cares." Sirius groaned.

"Me cares." Draco admired the book, looking at it as if it were pure gold. Hermione smacked him on the back of his head to snap him out of his trance. He sheepishly looked down at his lap. She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I really wish I could have someone help me. Otherwise, I'll be here all night. I might not even finish before Christmas, unless…." he trailed off, looking at Hermione.

"What are you thinking Harry?" she pondered.

He looked at the spot where he knew the time turner rested around her neck. Then, he looked back, staring her in the eyes.

"No! No way am I letting you use it!" she commanded.

"Please." He whined. Sirius leaned over to Draco.

"Do you know what they are talking about?" He asked

"Nope" he stated plainly.

"Fine!" Harry gave in. "Well, I better get started." He groaned. It was three days till Christmas. Harry had a lot of work to do.

On Christmas Eve, he was finally finished translating the parseltoungue engraved book. The only breaks he had taken were for food, bathroom, and a 20-minute nap here and there. It had been a lot of work, but it was done.

As Harry walked in to the Gryffindor Tower, he was met by a couple of his dorm mates.

"Harry! Mate, we thought you were dead! It's good to see you again, though." Ron greeted.

"Yeah, we were concerned, but Draco said you were just working on a project" Neville added.

"I'm fine, really. Where is Draco?" he wondered. He was answered with a bunch of shrugs. Harry rolled his eyes at his useless dorm mates and went upstairs to get his map and wrap his last present. Once he had wrapped the present for Professor Snape, he went and checked the map. When he found the name Draco Malfoy in Professor Snape's office, he wasn't very surprised. The Professor was the only family Draco really had. Deciding that he could give his present to Professor Snape personally, he traipsed off to the dungeons.

He arrived at the Potions Master's office and knocked politely on the door. It was opened by a surprised Severus Snape greeting him and hesitantly inviting him in.

"What are you doing here, Harry? How did you find me?" Draco asked, the look of pure confusion written all over his face. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I took a wild guess." Harry replied cheekily, slightly pulling out a piece of parchment from his pocket. Draco caught on and nodded.

"This is for you Professor." Harry said as he handed over the package he had under his arm. Snape took it, albeit warily, and looked at the boy confusedly. "It's a Christmas present, sir, and no I did not prank it or lace it with anything malicious. I'm not completely my father." Harry clarified. The dark man accepted the present and put it on his desk.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. To what do I owe said present?" Severus asked.

"You've given me presents. In first year, I thought you gave me a present out of, well, out of either pity or as a treaty or something like that. Then, I got your present last year and a birthday present and decided to repay the favor. I really enjoyed the book of my mother's. Thank you, by the way. It will be so ever useful next year in charms." Harry acknowledged.

The Professor sighed. "You're welcome, Mr. Potter. I shall open it tomorrow. You two should run along to dinner and then to bed. Goodbye." He offered as he shooed them away. As the door was shut in their faces Draco turned to Harry.

"That was odd. We were in the middle of a conversation." Draco huffed. He looked around Harry. "Where has Dragon run off to? Why isn't he with you?" he queried. Harry shrugged.

"I thought he was following you or Hermione around. I haven't seen him since I started on Professor Snape's present. You're telling me he wasn't with you?" Harry enquired. Draco nodded his head no. Harry furrowed his brow and took out the map. The name Sirius Black was following the name Remus Lupin. Harry sighed.

"I think we have to go save Remus." Harry stated.

"Why? Oh…" Draco realized. They ran to the corridor that the map said Remus currently inhabited. They almost ran directly into the man himself.

"Harry! What's the rush? Where have you been? I've taken up babysitting Dragon here for you because he refused to go find you. Have you been alright?" Remus surveyed the two boys.

"Yeah, Remus, we're fine. I was just looking for Dragon. I have been up the past couple days working on Professor Snape's present and Dragon here seemed to have wondered off." Harry enlightened. Remus nodded.

"Alright well. You should probably go eat. Did you really finish translating?" he asked, looking a tad concerned for the boy.

"Yeah, took me until about an hour ago. Don't worry, I still ate and slept. Anyway, I think you are right. We should go eat. Dragon." Harry called. "See ya Remus, oh and I hope you like my gift." He yelled back as they were walking away. _._ When they were out of sight Harry turned to glare at Dragon.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Harry scolded.

Sirius lead them in to an abandoned classroom and turned into his human form.

"I didn't expose myself to him. Gosh, that really does sound bad." Sirius grimaced.

Harry rolled his eyes at the statement. "Good. Just don't go off wondering again. You should have stayed with Draco or Hermione, not gone straight to Remus." He reprimanded.

Sirius nodded. "I just wanted to spend time with him. I miss him so much, and he's the only friend I've got left now and he glares every time my name comes up. I saw him reading the paper yesterday." Sirius shivered. "He hates me."

"No, he doesn't. He hates the man he thinks betrayed and murdered his best, and only, friends. When he realizes it wasn't you, he'll hate Peter even more than he has ever hated you." Harry comforted

 _Meanwhile in Severus Snape's office._

Tears fell from the Potions teacher's eyes as he looked at the present the Golden Boy had given him. The last gift Lily had planned on giving him. A peace treaty, marked only days before she had found out what he was. _She had wanted to make things right,_ he thought. S _he had wanted to become friends again. If only I had made the right choice. If only I hadn't become a death eater- maybe she would still be alive._


	35. Patronus Lessons

Patronus Lessons

After Christmas had past, everything went back to normal again. Harry was asked to stay back after the first potions class of the semester. During this time Professor Snape thanked him for the present and asked him how he found it. Harry told him it was just lying around his vault, with a preservation spell, probably for ages. The Professor then asked him how long it took the boy to decipher it. Harry replied, saying it was nothing. The potions master dismissed the child, but Harry realized that he wasn't given any homework to do. In fact, he was subtly dismissed Harry from homework for a whole week.

"I cannot _believe_ Professor Snape is playing favorites again! Not giving a student homework is just preposterous! It was bad enough we could always tell he favored Draco, but now he isn't giving _you_ of all people homework. How are you ever going to learn?" Hermione ranted. This had been going on for about twenty minutes and, needless to say, Draco and Harry were getting tired of it.

"Why wouldn't my godfather favor me? Plus, I deserved it! I am talented in potions." Draco defended.

"Shut up, no teacher should ever _favor_ their students. If it were right, then perhaps Professor Lupin should be giving points willy-nilly to Harry just because he breathes. Perhaps McGonagall should let Harry off from class early. I mean, he did defeat Lord Voldermort three times already. Professor Snape is not a _just_ teacher!" Hermione continued.

"Hey! Professor Snape is a _brilliant_ teacher!" Harry fortified.

"I never said he wasn't brilliant, I said he wasn't moral." Hermione clarified. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I have to go meet Remus and pretend I have no clue how to produce a _Patronus_. See you." Harry responded. Dragon got up from where he was laying and started to follow his godson. "Where do you think you're going?" Harry stopped the dog from following him, "Uh uh, no, you are going to stay here. This is between Remus and me. You can stay here and chase Severys around the dorm again." Draco looked affronted.

"Hey!" he shouted, holding the snake wrapped around his arm close to his face, "I'm sure he doesn't mean it Sevy, just ignore the mean ol' Harry." Draco booped the snake on his nose.

"We have got to get him a girlfriend! 'Mione?" Harry mentioned slyly.

"What?" she asked. Harry rolled his eyes and told Dragon to stay one last time. He then walked down the corridors until he reached his destination, Remus' office. Harry knocked on the door before standing back and waiting to be let in. Remus suddenly came up behind him carrying a large packing case, wand being carried by his mouth, and motioning for Harry to open the door. He walked in and dropped the large case on the floor.

Remus then turned towards Harry. "Hello, are you ready?" Remus enquired.

"Yes, yes, I am." Harry replied, and then thought back to last time. _Last time I had no idea what we were doing, better seem ignorant then._ "What's that?" Harry motioned to the case.

"Another _boggart_ ," Remus answered. "I have been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real dementor. The boggart will, more likely than not, turn in to a dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him here when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like." Remus explained.

"Okay." Harry replied, thinking it was great his boggart was dementor since he was in no mood to fight a real dementor at the moment.

"So…" Remus started, taking his own wand from where he had set it on the table, indicating that Harry should take out his wand as well. "The spell I am going to try to teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry- well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" Harry asked, wanting to answer himself.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus." Continued the lycanthrope, "Which is kind of an anti-dementor—a guardian that acts as a shield between you and a dementor. The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that dementors feed upon—hope, happiness, the desire to survive—but it cannot feel despair, as real human can, so dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards and witches have difficulty to produce a charm such as this." Remus finished.

"What does a Patronus look like?" Harry asked, feeling like he was mocking the man.

"It is unique for each individual."

"And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will only work if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

Harry thought for a moment. _I wonder if I have a happier memory this time? I can still think about that picnic with my parents, but I don't want to form a full Patronus yet, in fact maybe I shouldn't even try with a wisp. So, Halloween second year it is then!_

"Right," Harry replied.

"The incantation is— _Expecto Patronum_ " Remus told him.

" _Expecto_ _Patronum_ ," Harry repeated.

"Now concentrate hard on your happy memory," Remus then went and prepared to open up the trunk.

"Are you ready for a dementor?" Remus queried.

"Always." Harry muttered. The boggart came out in the form of a dementor, as expected. The black, death like creature was floating in the air as a ghost would. Harry paused for a moment and raised his wand to the beast, thinking about his friends and how amazing it was hearing stories about his parents.

" _Expecto Patronum_ …. _Expecto Patronum_ … _EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_ he tried but nothing happened. _Just as planned_. He thought as he started to feel faint. Remus saw this and promptly stood in front of the boy. He saw the Boggart take shape of the full moon as Remus put it back in its 'cage.'

"Harry! Are you alright? I knew this was a bad idea. Don't feel guilty, it's an almost impossible spell for a fully grown wizard, let alone a thirteen-year-old one." Remus hurried over to check on the boy. "Here eat this, you'll feel better." He handed a piece of chocolate to Harry.

Harry graciously took the chocolate and started nibbling on it. He contemplated while eating. _This would be the perfect time to get him to tell me he's a werewolf._

"Remus, why is your boggart a moon?" Remus tensed up. _Think quickly, he may be James' son but that doesn't mean he'll buy just any lie._ Remus sat still for a few more minutes before getting up and walking toward his desk.

"Well, the moon is in space. My friends always liked to joke about sending someone to space without a space suit and I think that terrified me as a child." Remus lied. Harry shook his head and sighed.

"That is probably the worst lie I have ever heard. But I guess I understand. It's your business not mine. I just hope one day you'll feel comfortable telling me the truth." Harry criticized. Remus looked down at his desk away from Harry.

"Thank you for not pushing further. And I am sorry, I just don't feel comfortable with you knowing everything about me, at least not yet Prongslet. I understand if you wish to be done for the night." Remus assumed.

"No! I wanna be able to demolish a dementor if I ever come across one. I'm not giving up just because you're keeping something from me. I mean if I gave up on something every time someone lied to me, I'd be a bum, living on the streets, never being able to practice magic cause I didn't know how." Harry contradicted.

"So, you still want to work with me?" Remus asked uncertainly.

"Heck yeah! Did you not just hear what I said?" Harry enquired.

Remus laughed, "Yes I did but I didn't hear much after 'I wanna be able to demolish a dementor if I ever come across one' because I am almost positive those are the exact words your father said when he decided to learn how to conjure a Patronus. Without the unnecessary expletives, of course." Remus recalled "You do realize there isn't necessarily a way to 'demolish' dementors, right? The best you can do is defend yourself from them." He added.

"Yeah, well, if I can defeat Voldemort at the bright age of one year's old, then I think my Patronus can demolish a dementor." Harry jested. Remus smiled.

"Anyway, what memory were you thinking of, by chance. Maybe it wasn't strong enough." Remus inquired.

"The first time I rode a broom." Harry lied.

"My goodness, that's not strong enough. Not nearly strong enough. Is there any other happy memory you have that might be stronger? Think about the memory that not only is happy, but makes you feel your happiest, and lightest. For example, I normally use the memory of your dad and our friends finally excepting me as their friend. I grew up with no friends at all; that's why it made me so happy. I always ended up having to leave them, or they would leave me. Try something like that."

"Alright," Harry responded, "I can do that." Harry thought of a happier moment, with Draco and Hermione laughing their heads off. Remus then let the Boggart out again. This time when Harry said _Expecto Patronum_ a white wisp came out he end of his wand. _Just as I intended_ he thought.

"Brilliant Harry! Just Brilliant! I knew you could do it!" Remus congratulated.

"Thanks." Harry said.

"Well, it's getting late and you have had a long, tiring night. Here, take some chocolate and get off to bed. Goodnight." Remus replied as he ushered harry out the door with a bar of chocolate.

"Goodnight, Remus." Harr bid as the door closed to Remus' office.


	36. Planning for the Future

ASHLEY, DO NOT CORRECT ANYTHING BUT GRAMMAR UNTIL YOU GET TO THE VERY END. YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M DOING AT FIRST, BUT BY THE END YOU WILL.

Planning the Future

Soon after the first patronus lesson Harry had with Remus, Draco and Harry found themselves preparing for another Quidditch match.. No surprise to Harry, Finnigan, Zabini, Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe showed up to the game dressed up as Dementors. No, it was what happened next that surprised the whole Trio. Professor Snape ran over to the students, now on the ground because of Harry's Stag Patronus. After checking if they were hurt, he took ten points off Slytherin from each of them and gave them detention with Professor McGonagall. The quintet of Slytherins looked extremely surprised, and ran away cowing. Only Draco saw the smirk on Professor Snape's face as they retreated. The rest of the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match went off without a hitch.

After the quidditch match, Hermione realized that the end of the year was a lot closer than she would have liked.

"Harry! We have a ton of revision to do! We can't just laze around doing what we like." Hermione scolded an idle Harry, whom had sat down and started petting Dragon. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Hermione Granger, we are at the top of all our classes, not to mention you and I already aced all our classes last time" Draco hissed, looking around to make sure no one else heard him. "With all the studying Harry has already done so far, he should do fine on our exams. Calm down and go pet your monster." He finished. Hermione looked affronted.

"He is _not_ a monster. Isn't that right Crookshanks?" She cooed as she picked up her beast and sat down. "I wasn't only talking about school, you know. We really need to get a _certain_ _someone_ on the same page for the upcoming Shrieking Shack adventure, so that nothing goes wrong." She clarified. Harry, Draco, and Dragon sighed.

"Let's get going then." Harry declared. They all got up and made for the door. "I'll call for Luna," Harry decided.

"Why do we need Luna?" Draco asked.

"Harry! I know you have a crush on her, but she has nothing to do with the Shrieking Shack! She doesn't need to come." Hermione established.

"I'm not saying we drag her along with us that night. What I am saying is that we _barely_ see her. Why can't she come and hang out?" Harry expressed. Hermione huffed.

"Fine invite her. She's not coming that night, however!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Who doesn't need to be where?" Luna inquired, walking around the corner smiling. As she came over to the trio, she squatted down and greeted Dragon. "Hello." She spoke dreamily.

"Hey Luna! We were about to go to the Come and Go room to make plans for catching Pettigrew. Want to come along? You don't have to help catch Pettigrew." Harry paused. "In fact, it would be better if you didn't help us that night. That doesn't mean you can't come and help us plan." Harry explained. Luna smile grew wider.

"Of course, Harry, I'm not doing anything now and my dorm mates have decided to ignore me again. So, why not?" She told the group.

Hermione looked sad at Luna. "I'm sorry your dorm mates are ignoring you again. Don't worry about them. We think you're cool! Come on." Hermione commanded as she threw her arm around Luna's shoulders. When they got to the seventh-floor corridor, Draco paced back and forth three times. When they walked in, Dragon turned in to Sirius and sat down.

"So, what happens that night that we need to plan?" Draco enquired.

"Well, first we went down to Hagrid's hut to support him and Buckbeak. You, of course know what happens right before that, don't you?" Hermione remarked, smiling cheekily.

Draco grimaced, moving his hand to touch his nose. "Yeah, you have got one heck of a right hook there, Granger." Draco complimented grimly. Hermione smiled. Sirius doubled over laughing.

"You got punched by a _girl?_ You got punched by Hermione, of all people? No offence, of course." He told the girl. She just smiled.

"None taken. Anyway, we had tea at Hagrid's, and then Scabbers turned up. We hurried out when the minister gets there, but Scabbers bit Ron's hand and escaped. We chased after him until you got there, Sirius. Ron caught the rat but then you grabbed Ron's leg with your teeth and drug him to the Shrieking Shack. Harry and I, after fighting the Whomping Willow, followed you down.

"When we got there, you started talking about killing something, which we automatically thought was Harry, until Remus got there. Then, he hugged you and started saying how they couldn't kill anyone until Harry understood. Right after that, Professor Snape showed up, ready to turn Sirius in. Harry disarmed the professor but it hit him so hard, he was thrown back and knocked out. Then Sirius explained how he was innocent, we went out, but it was a full moon and Remus transformed.

"Peter escaped while we focused on not getting killed by a werewolf. Sirius and Harry were attacked by dementors, and then Harry and I relived the night again to save everyone!" She finished. Draco and Sirius sat back in their seats stunned.

"Yup, that pretty much sums it up." Harry laughed. Luna started chuckling with him. Draco, who had retained his wits, looked confused.

"How did you relive the night again?" Draco queried. He thought about it for a minute and then stood up in shock. "You have a time turner! That explains why you can take all those classes and relive a night over again. Merlin! Am I that stupid now that I'm a Gryffindor?" Draco wondered.

"Hey!" all the Gryffindor's yelled at once.

"That's beside the point. First, we need to decide who will cast ' _Expelliarmus'_ at Professor Snape." Hermione redirects.

"I should probably knock out Sev. He can't hate me. I'm his godson." Draco decided.

"No, I wanna knock out Professor Snape." Harry argued.

"No, I should knock him out." Draco countered.

"No, I should!" Harry exclaimed.

"No, me!"

"No, me!"

"The point is _not_ to knock Professor Snape out!" Hermione interrupted, trying to get the boys to stop fighting.

"Yeah, that would make for an awkward family reunion. 'Draco tell us about the time when you knocked out your godfather again.'" Draco imitated. "Yeah, that just isn't going to happen."

"That settles it. I'll knock out Professor Snape." Harry stated with completion.

"Harry, Professor Snape will be the only adult that night that isn't going to turn in to a werewolf." Hermione reminded them.

"Sirius is an adult!" Harry claimed. Draco, Hermione and even Luna looked at Harry. He started cracking up laughing.

"Yeah, I can't even keep a straight face with that one." Harry snickered.

"I am an adult!" Sirius argued.

"But you're also a convicted mass murder who doesn't have a lot of authority." Draco reminded him. Sirius glared but nodded in agreement.

"Nevertheless, what do you need me to do?" Sirius asked, turning his attention to Harry.

"Well we need to get everyone to the Shrieking Shack. I doubt Draco is going to let you pull him by the leg, so…." Harry trailed off looking at Hermione to finish for him.

"We will need you to chase Pettigrew into the Shrieking Shack, _without_ killing him." Hermione reprimanded strongly.

"You and Moony, always taking the fun out of things." The animagus whined. Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. They spent the rest of the night talking about the end of term.

When they decided to go back to their dormitories, it was well past curfew. Harry, being a gentleman, told Luna he could take her back using the map so that they wouldn't run into trouble.

"Sure, Harry." Luna responded.

"We can come with!" Hermione exclaimed.

"No 'Mione, let the love birds finish off their date in piece." Draco teased, smiling at the blushing Harry, who was the only other person whom had heard the blond.

"Fine, we'll take Dragon with us. See you in the common room, Harry." Hermione said, grabbing her Dragons by their collars and walking back to Gryffindor Tower.

Harry took the second year Ravenclaw back to her tower without much trouble. He gave her a hug goodnight and turned around to walk away. He smiled to himself the rest of the way back to Gryffindor tower, until he happened upon an unforeseen problem.

"Mister Potter, taking a stroll in the moonlight, are we?" a smooth silky voice came from behind him. Harry grimaced. _Why was this necessary?_ He turned around and shoved a disbanded Marauders Map back in his pocket.

"No, I… sleep walk." Harry lied.

"Oh really? _Accio parchment_." The professor said. He looked over the old Parchment and pointed his wand at it. "Show me your secrets."

 _Mr. Moony presents his compliments to professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business._

 _Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git._

 _Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor._

 _Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime ball._

As the dark man read this, he looked up. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Potter?" Right then Remus came in to sight.

"Hello Severus, Harry. What is going on?" Remus enquired.

Snape huffed and showed _Moony_ the parchment. Harry chuckled. _What was Professor Snape thinking, that Remus was going to confess?_ Remus showed signs of recognition of the parchment, but easily put on a distracting smile.

"And what would you like me to do with this?" Remus asked.

"Well it looks to me like a dark object, and the Dark arts are _your_ area of expertise. I thought you should take a look." Severus explained. _Oh, my goodness, Professor Snape is mocking Remus! That's why he showed it to him._ Harry had an epiphany. Remus took it and looked over it for a moment.

"It looks like a silly joke product if you ask me, probably one of Zonko's yeah? I don't think there is anything _dark_ about it, but as you said it is _my_ area of expertise. I'll look into it further. Harry can you come with me?" Remus queried as he motioned for Harry to walk in front of him

"Goodnight, Professor." Harry bid to Professor Snape. When Remus and Harry stopped walking they were in front of Remus' living quarters. He motioned for Harry to go inside after saying the password. He sat the Marauders Map on a table and took a deep breath.

"I don't know how you got a hold of this Harry, because I know for a fact Filch confiscated it years ago. And you know what I'm not going to even ask. What I am going to say is what in the world did you think you were doing? Do you know what could have happened if this got in the hands of Sirius Black? It would be a map leading right to you. The makers of this would have found it extremely entertaining to lead you out of this school. Now you better go off to bed, and don't take any detours or I'll know." Remus lectured.

Harry took a deep breath but made no point to move. He glared at the man.

"You mean, my dad?" Harry interrogated. Remus gasped.

"How did you…"

"I'm not an idiot. _Prongslet_? Sounds a lot like Prongs to me." Harry accused. Remus sighed.

"Yes, he would have found it quite amusing. Now…"

"And you? I never told you it was a map, so that suggests you knew about it." Harry charged. Remus swallowed.

"Yes, I would have enjoyed as well, when I was younger." Remus admitted.

"How was I supposed to know that Sirius Black would be able to get in the Map?" Harry asked.

"Well, obviously you got into it somehow. So…" Remus was interrupted yet again.

"No, because I was told what the incantation was, it probably took the twins months to figure it out, and then the map probably told them after it found out they were prankster. So, no. The only way Sirius Black would know is if he had already known. Which means he created it too. Which one was he? Moony? Padfoot? Wormtail? Where the heck did you pull those names from, anyway? And what right do you have to take that away from me. I know for a fact my dad would love nothing more than to give that to me. So technically it's my birth right. You know what, I don't care. Take the map. But don't act like you are any more righteous by doing so." And with that Harry left, not even knowing where that speech came from. He was halfway to the common room when he realized there was far too much noise following him. He turned around.

"I know you are there." He stated. Suddenly a cloak was thrown off to find two thirteen-year old's and a dog. The dog came up and licked the boy's hands. Draco stared at him concernedly.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you too much. Really? Your _birth_ _right_?" Draco quizzed.

Harry smiled. "How long were you two there for?" He asked

"Dragon got concerned and sniffed his way to you. We just followed. I think we were there for the whole thing. Where did that come from?" Hermione probed.

"Yeah, Harry. That wasn't very like you." Draco pointed out.

"I… don't have a clue" Harry drawled out. "I guess I didn't like that he was taking the map again, and that last time he really was in the wrong. I mean he knew exactly how Sirius was getting in and he didn't tell anyone, and then he has the audacity to put me at fault? I guess it all came pouring out. I thought I had my anger under control this time, but I don't. Come on, we shouldn't be standing around. We need to get back to Gryffindor."

(pages 287-289, harry potter and the prisoner of Azkaban)


	37. The Shrieking Shack

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. We provided three chapters to make up for it. Things have just gotten very busy between work, school, and new kittens (yes, we got kittens). Thanks for your patience, and as always, what is not original belongs to JK.

The Shrieking Shack

The trio sat in Hagrid's hut, waiting. Hermione was nursing her hand from the impact of her fist contacting Seamus' face as he made fun of the fact Buckbeak would be killed. Draco sat back stunned looking at Hermione's hand, which Dragon was now licking thoughtfully.

"Was I really _that_ important?" Draco asked. Harry looked over at the blonde.

"For the fifteenth time, yes." Harry responded. Hagrid walked over to make some tea. He made a noise and turned to Harry.

"Oi, Harry, isn't this Ron's missing rat, Scabbers?" Hagrid asked as he held up a squirming rodent.

Draco jumped up and walked towards Hagrid. "There he is!" He said as he went to grab for the rat. Hagrid stared at him. "You know, Ron's been…very worried about him. Yeah, that's it. He's kept us up at all hours of the night crying over him. I should take it back to him so I can get some beauty sleep." Draco lied flawlessly.

Harry continued. "Yeah, we should, uh, go give it to Ron." Dragon growled. Hermione grabbed onto the scruff of his neck and held him back. Pettigrew squeaked and bit Hagrid's hand. Hagrid let go of the rat and he quickly scampered off. Dragon escaped from Hermione's grip and ran after him.

"Hagrid, I'm so sorry to be rude, but we really need to go." Draco apologized. He, Harry, and Hermione jumped and ran toward the back door, creating a small traffic jam. Once they all filed out, they ran toward the Shrieking Shack.

They then saw Dragon disappear underneath the tree. Harry grabbed a stick he knew would be long enough and touched the secret knot that would make the Whomping Willow freeze. All three filed in underneath the hole in the tree and made their way to the Shrieking Shack.

When they got there, they saw Sirius holding Pettigrew at wand point.

"You traitor! Lily and James trusted you. You betrayed them!" Sirius cried.

"Sirius, you don't understand. The dark lord, he Imperiused me." Pettigrew claimed, shaking in terror.

"Dragon…Sirius!" Draco yelled. Sirius pushed his wand into Pettigrew's throat, still holding onto the man's collar.

"You should have died for them." Sirius argued. Hermione stepped forward.

"Sirius Orion Black, put your wand down!" Hermione demanded. Sirius looked over at Hermione.

"He betrayed them. They're dead because of him." Sirius looked over at Harry. "Your parents, Harry."

Harry stepped up to where Hermione and Draco stood. "Padfoot, they're right. Killing him will not bring them back. It also won't help you. We need Pettigrew alive." Harry reasoned. Sirius looked like he was about to put down his wand when Remus came storming into the shack.

"Sirius, put the wand down." Remus commanded, his own wand ready for a fight.

"Moony, it wasn't me, I swear!" Sirius pleaded. Remus took a moment to rid himself of the shock of seeing his best friend and noted the color of his hair.

"Why the heck is your hair blond?" Remus asked Sirius. Sirius smiled cheekily and changed into Dragon. Remus looked flummoxed. "Wait, you were Dragon? You've been here all this time and you haven't tried to kill Harry?" Remus looked over at Pettigrew, and he turned pensive. He looked over at Dragon. "You were innocent. You never betrayed James and Lily, did you? What happened that night, Padfoot? Weren't you their Secret Keeper?" He looked back at Pettigrew. "You weren't, were you? You idiots!" He screamed at the room.

At that moment, Snape walked into the room. "You're the idiot, Lupin." He shoved the flask he was holding into Remus' hands. "Drink, now." He commanded. Remus looked at him gratefully and took the flask, drinking it down in one gulp.

At this point, Harry took his opportunity and yelled, "Expelliarmus," at Snape. Snape's wand flew out of his hand into the air.

"What? Why did you disarm me?" Snape snapped.

"So you don't kill Sirius." Harry said.

"Although I'd love to, I'm not here to kill Black. I'm here for answers and to make sure Lupin doesn't kill you all." Snape explained. "On the way to give him his potion, I overheard his little spiel about Pettigrew being alive…and how that was impossible. Then he ran out of his office, so I followed him. Then, I heard his little rant just now about Black being Dragon." Snape then mumbled to himself. "That explains so much."

"So, you don't think I'm guilty?" Sirius asked, hopefully. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you're guilty of many things. But turning in Lily and Potter? No, I do not think even you would stoop that low." Snape confessed. He glared over at Pettigrew.

"No, it was Pettigrew. Then, he set me up! You see, he's a rat…literally. We all became animagi our fifth year. Pettigrew can turn into a rat. He yelled out so that everyone would see us, then he made the street explode, cut off his finger, and turned into a rat. He was the spy for Voldemort." Sirius explained to everyone in the room.

Snape looked thoughtful for a moment. "So that was why the Dark Lord was always muttering to his lap at meetings." He mumbled. Draco laughed. Snape looked back at him and stared, confused.

"Nothing. Just imagining the Dark Lord talking into his lap." Draco lied flawlessly. Snape was still confused, but let it go.

"I don't understand how he could have come up with that. Pettigrew, not You-Know-Who." Remus clarified. Sirius shrugged.

"He never was very smart. The Dark Lord must have come up with the plan and had the rat carry it out." Snape added. He turned to Black. "How in the world did you, Potter, and Pettigrew become animagi?"

"A conversation for another time, Snape." Sirius sighed.

"That suggests there will be another time." Snape sneered. Remus just held his head in his hands.

"Would you really hand me over to the dementors knowing I'm innocent of this crime?" Sirius pleaded.

"Not for this crime, but there still is the fact you _are_ guilty of attempted murder." Snape reminded him.

"Can we just move on? Sirius still needs to explain exactly what happened. They claimed he made a confession on scene." Remus halted further conversation down this road. They still had a rat hanging from his collar, looking like he was about to escape. Remus also focused his wand on Pettigrew.

"I convinced James and Lily to switch secret keepers. I thought it was the perfect bluff." Sirius then continued to explain exactly what happened. Hermione and Harry sat there bored. They had now heard this for a second time, not to mention reliving this night for a third. Draco sat on the edge of the bed enthralled. Why hadn't Black been in Slytherin?

When Sirius had finished his tale, Remus went and slapped him over the ear. "Idiots! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell Dumbledore?"

"We did tell Dumbledore. Who do you think cast the charm?" Sirius asked. Everyone in the room gasped. Hermione and Harry perked up a bit. "I was the witness. Pettigrew nor the Potters could. They were the Secret Keeper and the Secret. Therefore, we had to have Dumbledore cast the spell."

"Why didn't you ask me?" Remus asked. Sirius looked down sheepishly.

"Voldemort was promising perks to werewolves. You have to admit, you were away so often and you couldn't tell us where you were. We thought-well I thought-that you could have been the spy." Sirius admitted. Snape scoffed.

"Lupin? A spy? He can barely his own secrets, let alone someone else's." Snape laughed. Remus and Sirius glared at him.

"Not everyone here knows my secrets." Remus hissed. Harry raised his hand slowly.

"Actually…" Harry started. Remus looked at him dejectedly.

"How?" Remus asked. Harry shrugged.

"Hermione found out when Professor Snape gave us that paper to write. Then, she asked Sirius and he told us." Harry explained. Sirius looked confusedly over at Harry and caught his eye. He nodded understandingly and agreed.

"Yeah, I-I thought they had the right to know. Harry being Prongs' son and all." Sirius lied.

"But Draco and Hermione?" Remus countered. Sirius looked sheepishly again.

"Hermione would have told Draco anyway." Sirius defended. Snape and Remus nodded in agreement to that one. Hermione looked offended. Draco and Harry stared at her a moment.

"Fine." She whispered honestly.

"Well, we should get out of here." Sirius suggested. Snape and Remus agreed. They forced Pettigrew to return to rat form. Sirius had Remus hold the rat in his hand. They began to walk out.

Halfway toward the entrance, Remus stopped.

"Oh, wait!" Remus remembered. Snape facepalmed.

"Really, Lupin? Twenty-eight years of transforming into a beast and you still forget?" Snape questioned. Remus ran back into the Shrieking Shack. Harry stopped and thought for a moment.

"Wait!" He cried out. "He has Pettigrew!" The whole group stopped and turned around. Right as they began their way back to the shack, they heard a howl and a shriek. Sirius changed into Dragon and darted toward the werewolf. The group stopped and Snape told them that they all should wait outside the tunnel. They all turned back around and walked out of the tunnel.

Sirius came out half an hour later, panting.

"He's gone!" Sirius howled. "When I got there, Remus had transformed. He looked so much better than the last time I had seen him transform." He begrudgingly looked at Snape. "Thank you."

"Just doing what the headmaster forces me to." Snape replied. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Well, I looked around, and that rat was nowhere. I couldn't even catch his scent." Sirius confessed, agitatedly. Harry sighed. He looked around.

"Well, quick, transform. No one can know you're here if he's not caught." Harry reminded him. Sirius grudgingly turned back into Dragon. They all began walking up to the castle. They all saw ministry official standing guard at the front of the castle. Snape winced and turned to the quartet.

"I may have sent a patronus to the headmaster saying that ministry help might be needed because there might be a werewolf on the loose." Snape confessed apologetically.

"You did what?" Harry, Draco, and Hermione yelled in unison.

"There was a werewolf on the loose without wolfsbane. He could have killed you all. I was doing my job." Snape defended. Draco sighed.

"I understand, but seriously…" Draco started. He was interrupted by Dragon who barked happily. Snape glared at the dog.

"This is not the time, Bla…Dragon." Snape corrected. Harry looked frantically.

"You have to explain this to them!" Harry pleaded. Snape nodded his head and agreed.

They finished their trek to the headmaster's office. Snape stayed his hand and motioned for Harry and Dragon to come with him.

They went up to the headmaster's office. There they found the minister and the headmaster, talking. The headmaster rose when he saw his potions master, student, and dog.

"Severus," Dumbledore sighed in relief. "You found them."

Severus replied, "Yes, all is well. There is no real need to fret. However, there is something that you should know." He glared at Dragon, sending the message not to turn back yet.

"What could we possibly need to know other than that Harry Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World, is safe?" Fudge questioned. Snape looked over at Harry right as Harry winced. He had no idea why the child had done that. Shouldn't he have beamed with pride at that mention? He filed that away for later.

"You need to know that Sirius Black is innocent." Harry blurted out. "Pettigrew set him up." Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Yes, a thirteen-year-old child and a death eater, who would they believe more_? Snape thought sarcastically. Dumbledore scoffed.

"What? You must be joking!" Dumbledore looked at Snape, begging him to say it wasn't true. Snape laid a hand on Harry's shoulder to stay any further Gryffindor tendencies.

"It's the truth, Headmaster," Snape confessed. "Pettigrew is alive and was disguised as a pet rat for the past twelve years."

"Nonsense," The minister claimed. "We found Pettigrew's wand exploded and only a finger left of him."

"He set up his own death and turned into a rat." Snape continued, annoyed that no one believed him. However, he thought to himself how much of this seemed like a story that a death eater and a confused child would come up with.

"Peter Pettigrew, a rat? Are you saying he's an animagus?" Dumbledore asked. Snape inclined his head.

"This is preposterous." Fudge countered. "All the animagi are registered. We do not have Pettigrew in the registry. Hence, Pettigrew was not an animagus."

"Do you really think everyone registers themselves? Do you know how many wizards and witches out there are running about unregistered? You wouldn't even be able to count." Snape drawled, beginning to get really flustered. Dragon whined. Snape glared again.

"Maybe I should let him outside." Harry suggested.

"That would be best." Snape agreed. Harry dragged Dragon out of the headmaster's office and closed the door on him.

"Sorry about that, sirs. He gets very claustrophobic sometimes." Harry lied. Snape glared at Harry. The boy shrugged.

Fudge intervened. "I'll hear no more about this." He mumbled to himself. "I don't know why Dumbledore trusts you." He raised his voice. "Headmaster, since there is no more trouble about, I will be leaving."

"But wait…" Harry yelled. Snape grabbed Harry's shoulder and squeezed firmly. The boy shut up. As Fudge left the Headmaster's office, Dragon ran and attacked the minister. Snape let go of Harry to allow the boy to get his dog under control. Harry grabbed Dragon by the collar and pulled him back. "Sorry, Minister. He gets a little aggravated sometimes."

"It's alright, Harry. Good day." The minister bid Harry as he left.

The three conspirators left the headmaster's office and found Draco and Hermione looking defeated. As soon as they got out of earshot of the office, Snape began berating Harry.

"Why didn't you let me handle it? If you had just let me deal with things, we would have been able to get your beloved dog-father out of trouble. Now, they will never believe us when we claim he is innocent." Snape snapped.

Harry nodded silently. Draco bid goodnight to the professor, and they all headed up to the Gryffindor common room.


	38. Catching Up

Catching Up

Remus awoke to two soulful grey eyes staring back at him. He jumped, a little shocked, and made to sit up. He found himself covered with a blanket and wearing fuzzy slippers, a pillow underneath his head. Sirius stuffed a pair of the wolf's robes in his face.

"Your tea will be ready momentarily. Take these and put them on. We'll have a lovely chat when you're decent." Sirius promised, leaving the room and shutting the door. Remus stared at the closed door in shock. He shook his head and began putting on his clothes.

When he was finished, he walked out to where Sirius waited for him. He sat down and was rewarded with a steaming cup of Earl Grey and some scones. He rolled his eyes. Since when was Sirius motherly? The last time this had occurred, Peter made the tea and scones. Looking back, Remus blushed at the fact that they had teased him mercilessly for it. Was that the reason he turned? Could they have stopped him if only they had taken the time to stop and evaluate how they talked to one another?

Remus shook his head again. These thoughts would not get them anywhere. He sipped his tea and sat back.

"So, Azkaban." He started. Sirius nodded.

"Professor Lupin." He retorted.

"Touche." Remus laughed. Boy, had their lives turned out differently than they had imagined. Remus took the time to think. "How did I not notice you were Harry's dog this whole time?" He asked the other man. Sirius smirked.

"To be fair, I did have blond hair and brown eyes. Not very similar to my original look." Sirius pointed out. He quickly grew somber. "Remus, there is something that you should know. Pettigrew escaped last night. I'm not free. He's out in the wind, probably running to his master at this moment."

"So, where will you go?" Remus asked. "How will you hide from the dementors or the ministry?" Sirius shrugged.

"I don't know. I might go 'home' to Grimmauld Place, clean it up a little bit. I thought about going down to the tropics for a vacation, but that just doesn't seem fair to Harry. He just got me back. I won't leave him again." The dark man promised. He knew Remus would probably never get the second meaning behind his words. He would never know of Sirius' death at the hands of Bellatrix, nor would he hear about the way Harry tortured himself over it. Sirius could not quite understand why Harry felt so responsible, but it did seem pretty bad, from the way Harry talked about losing him. Sirius blinked his eyes several times. He had to come back to the present. Remus needed him, not his stray thoughts.

"I'm glad. You know, if I could, I'd take him in a heartbeat. I tried to gain custody way back in the beginning, but as a werewolf, there was no way for me to do anything. They turned me down." Remus informed his friend.

"I wish I could take him, too. Maybe I'll go with him back home. It might be fun to play the pet dog over the summer." Sirius thought aloud. Remus smirked.

"Oh, I'd pay money to see that, Padfoot." Remus teased. Sirius smiled.

"Wherever he's living can't be _that_ bad. He could easily explain finding a stray dog on the side of the road and taking it with him to school." Sirius replied seriously.

"I can't wait to see how you would avoid being neutered." Remus snorted. Sirius went red before smirking again.

"Besides, I'm sure the family he's staying with would be accepting of a pet." Sirius assured his friend. Remus' face dropped.

"I highly doubt they would." Remus rebutted. Sirius looked confused.

"Come on, I'm a loveable childhood pet. Who could say no to that? As a matter of fact, who could say no to Harry Potter?" Sirius questioned. Remus looked thoughtful.

"Lily's sister and her husband would be first in line." The wolf replied. As an afterthought, he added, "Quickly followed by Severus Snape."

"Well, I'm talking about people who matter." Sirius retorted.

"As am I." Remus argued. "Well, at least the first part anyway."

"Why? Why would Harry have anything to do with that evil wench and her vile, walrus husband?" Sirius inquired. Remus quirked an eyebrow.

"They matter because they're his guardians?" Remus suggested, almost as if he were asking if this really did make them count.

"No. No way! Harry was specifically not supposed to go to Petunia and Vernon." Sirius told Remus. Remus shrugged.

"Who else was available to care for him?" Remus proposed. Sirius balked for a minute.

"I don't know. Look in their will again! It should have a list of people James and Lily agreed to have as Harry's guardians. They told me about it. They also specifically said that Harry was _not_ supposed to go to Petunia or Vernon. He was not to even see them, ever." Sirius replied, outraged.

"Look in their will again? What do you mean?" Remus queried.

"Well, what did their will say?" Sirius responded. Remus shrugged.

"I don't know. Their will was never read." Remus informed Sirius. Sirius remained calm. Remus was surprised. For Sirius credit, he seemed to be taking it very well.

"WHAT!?" Sirius screeched. Remus winced. He spoke too soon.

"There wasn't much time. Harry had to be placed right away. There was so much going on. We had to think quickly. Professor Dumbledore sent Harry directly to his aunt and uncle's. There was no reason to uproot him. Of course, Professor Dumbledore suddenly had to deal with the heavy load of trials and court cases, last minute laws changing, people trying to plead not guilty, and so on. It just seemed best to put him there." Remus explained, though he did not quite know why he had defended the Headmaster.

"Well, the will needs to be read." Sirius announced with authority. He got up and walked toward the door.

"Sirius, while I agree Harry should not be with the Dursleys-really, they do horrible things to him-I cannot see us going in and demanding to see the Potter will. The way things ended this year, and Harry needs you. Going out in public would be a bad idea." Remus debated. Sirius smiled wryly, quickly turning into Dragon. The werewolf smiled. "I know you think that solves everything, but it really doesn't." Sirius turned back.

"We could go right now. No one would suspect the pet dog of Harry Potter to be the mass murderer supposedly out to get him. We can get into Gringotts. We'll be safe there. The goblins don't care about ministry laws, nor do they have an opinion on escaped convicts. We'll be really quick, and then we have our ammunition to fight Harry's current placement in court." Sirius argued. Remus sighed. He looked at Sirius, back to himself, and then back to Sirius. Sirius got the idea. "Okay, not _right_ now. Like, this afternoon, or tomorrow."

"You won't let this go until we've seen this through, will you?" Remus asked, almost pleading with the man to say that he would indeed let this go.

"When have I, Moony? When have I ever?" Sirius questioned. Remus sighed again.


	39. The Letter

The Letter

Remus and Dragon strolled down Diagon Alley. They were making good time until Dragon suddenly stopped in front of the Quidditch Supply Store. Remus looked over at him, annoyed.

"Come on, Dragon. We don't have time for this." Remus complained. Dragon whined, but relented and began to walk again.

They came to Gringotts and Remus walked up to the head goblin.

"My name is Remus Lupin, and I am here to hear the reading of the wills of James and Lily Potter." Remus demanded. Dragon nodded his head in agreement. The goblin looked up.

"Finally. We were wondering when someone would come in demanding to read that will." The goblin grumbled. He looked from Remus to Dragon. "However, I only see two of the three parties needed to read the will."

Remus looked confused. "Who is the last party?" Maybe they had added Pettigrew or Harry in the will.

The goblin looked down at his notes. He had just happened to be working through unread wills that day to catalogue them, and the Potter's will was one of the few he had just read. He cleared his throat. "One Severus Snape." Remus' eyes widened. Dragon choked. "I'm afraid he must be here for the will to be read."

Remus looked thoughtful for a moment. "We'll be right back." Remus dragged Dragon to the floo. He called Severus Snape's office, Hogwarts. They arrived quickly, but did not see Snape. Dragon, knowing he was safe here, transformed back into Sirius.

"No." Sirius said forcefully. Remus rolled his eyes.

"You wanted the will read. To have the will read, he needs to be there. Hence, we need to bring him back with us." Remus argued. Before he could add anything else, Snape walked into his office. He saw the two intruders and glared.

"What are you two imbeciles doing in my office?" Snape barked, clearly annoyed. "I had hoped for a marauder free summer."

"I again offer my objection." Sirius said back to Remus. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Severus, now is not the time to rehash our past grievances. We realized that James and Lily's will was never read…" Remus started. Severus rolled his eyes.

"And that has what to do with me?" Severus interrupted.

"Well," Remus continued, "apparently, all parties must be in attendance for it to be read. You just happen to be the one party missing from our group."

"You're saying Potter added _me_ in his will?" Severus asked incredulously.

"Apparently," Sirius spit.

"This is the Potter's will. Lily was a Potter. I would assume it was her influence in the writing of the will that had them include you." Remus argued logically. Snape sighed. He looked consideringly.

"No, you are obviously tricking me. Now that you two are back in action, I should expect this to occur more often." Snape drawled. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"As much as I would love to say this is a joke, it's not Snape." Sirius replied. The man in question glared and seemed unconvinced.

"The answer is still no." Snape decided.

"You're not even curious to see why Lily added you in their will?" Remus asked convincingly.

"I know I am." Sirius quipped. Snape looked down at his desk. Sirius huffed and his patience wore out. Sirius looked over at Remus. Remus caught the look in his eyes and agreed. They both descended on Snape and grabbed him by the arms, dragging him to the floo. Sirius grabbed some floo powder and called out "Gringotts".

The next thing they knew, they were in a cushy room with a conference table and soft chairs. Sirius and Remus forced the final man in their party into a chair and sat down themselves.

A goblin walked into the conference room, and Remus suddenly looked pensive.

"Wait, shouldn't Albus Dumbledore be here?" He asked the goblin. The goblin looked confused.

"Why should Albus Dumbledore be here?" The goblin asked.

"Well, was he not the executor of the will?" Snape asked, suddenly concerned.

"No." The goblin replied shortly. He then cleared his throat. "We are here today to read the will of one Lily Rose Potter nee Evans and one James Charlus Potter." He began reading the will. Then, he got to the part that everyone in the room was waiting for. "To Severus Snape, stop berating yourself for past mistakes. I always knew you were a good man at heart and knowing that you turned back to the light has made me once again remember why we were friends in the first place. I have something very important to tell you, but I cannot do it in this will. James and I have written a letter to you and Sirius, our two best friends…" Remus knew he should have felt left out, but he always knew Sirius and James were like brothers. "You two are to remain in the room alone and read this together. We ask this of you because what we are about to ask you to do you need to do together."

Sirius and Severus glared at one another. Remus held his head in his hands. This was not going to go well.

"Finally, Harry James Potter is in no way to go to Petunia Dursley nee Evans. That is our last request. We want Harry loved, and we know he will not be if he is to go to that household." The goblin finished. He took out an envelope and placed it on the table. He motioned for Remus to leave.

"Wait, I wasn't mentioned. Why am I here?" Remus asked quickly, not getting up.

"You were the executor." The goblin said offhandedly, motioning again for him to leave.

"Oh, I'm not leaving," Remus said stubbornly.

"They cannot open the letter until they are completely alone." The goblin explained.

"Without any supervision? Do you know what will happen when they are alone together?" Remus asked almost shrilly.

"Oh, come on, Moony. I can handle myself." Sirius promised. Remus looked wearily at his friend.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He moaned. Severus sighed.

"We aren't going to kill each other in two minutes. Besides, I think that Black has enough brain cells to realize that this is the last thing Potter ever said to him. I don't think he will give up the chance to know what Potter had to say over some petty feud." Severus drawled.

"Fine, but I will be waiting outside the door. If I do not hear any noise after thirty minutes, I am coming in and if I hear too much noise, I will call the aurors." Remus threatened. Sirius looked betrayed.

"Leave, Lupin." Severus urged. Remus walked out backwards, looking reluctant to turn around and shut the door. Once the door closed, the two men glared at each other.

"Snape." Sirius bit.

"Black." Severus returned.

"Open it up, Snivellus." Sirius demanded. Snape glared, but opened the letter and began to read aloud.

"Dearest Severus and Sirius, if you are reading this, James and I are dead. I know that both of you must be going through so much, and I hope this letter is superfluous…" Severus stopped here and added his own commentary. "That means unnecessary, Black."

"I know what it means, Snape. Just keep reading." Sirius commanded.

"But we fear that something will happen. We fear that the Ministry's laws on werewolves will not allow Remus to be the executor of the will. If that is the case, we don't know what might happen. Therefore, we implore you to please put your past behind you for the task we place before you. First of all, Severus, if you didn't catch it in the will, I completely forgive you. I ask that you forgive me for abandoning you over a word I know you didn't mean. I also forgive you for turning the prophecy over to Voldemort. You didn't know what it meant, nor did you know it was real and would put us in danger." Severus had to stop for a moment and swallow. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Will you just continue, Snape?" Black bit. Severus sighed and continued.

"Most importantly, James wants to apologize to you, Severus. He grew up, Sev. He realized how awful he was to you. You were just a kid. You both were. He hates the fact that he was a bully. He feels so guilty for the choices he made. You two are actually more similar than you want to believe. But that's beside the point. We fear that someone will not listen to us about our choice in guardian. We fear someone will still send Harry to Petunia. If that is the case, we want both of you to take him away from there immediately. We have named both of you godfathers to Harry. We know that while Sirius will love Harry more than anything and care for him more than himself, he is not the most responsible person we know (James wants me to add in here that he is sorry, Padfoot, but it's true). We also know Severus will discipline Harry and also care for him, but might not teach him how to have fun, and your position as a spy might cause a bit of an inconvenience." Sirius laughed at that.

"A bit of an inconvenience?" Sirius choked. Severus glared back at Sirius.

"Please, raise him together. We hope both of you will accept our offer to live in Potter Manor. We have set it up so that each of you can live in separate wings. We don't expect miracles, but you two are the people we trust most with our son. We know both of you will love him, because he is a part of both of us. Please, try and get along for Harry's sake. He will need both of you. We love you both, Lily and James Potter." Severus finished, his hands beginning to shake. Sirius got up and snatched the letter from Snape. He read it over several times.

"They can't be serious." Sirius said unbelievingly.

"No, you are." Severus quipped. Sirius looked up. He felt a burgeoning respect for the potions master in front of him. He smirked.

"Good one." Sirius sighed. "Maybe, maybe this can work out." He paused for a moment. "What happens now?"

"We could demand our rights. It is right here in black and white that he's ours." Severus suggested, his features softening a bit. Black was actually acting civil.

"Well, first, I think I need to take a page from James' book. If we are to raise Harry together, you should know that I am sorry for the way I treated you in school. I was a jerk, even worse than James. I hated you simply because of your house, and that wasn't right. _Then_ , I put your life in danger. No one deserves that. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry and I think we should at least try to be civil for Harry." Sirius apologized. Severus sighed.

"I accept your apology. I also am sorry for the ways I retaliated at you. I might have been defending myself, but some were just cruel." Severus reminisced ruefully. Sirius stretched out a hand. Severus took it. They shook hands.

At this exact moment, Remus walked in. He looked astonished.

"I'm sorry, I seemed to have walked into a parallel universe. I'm going to close this door and I should walk in on my best friend pummeling a Hogwarts staff member. Goodbye." Remus shut the door and walked in again. He looked over at his best friend acting civilly with Severus Snape. "Did I hit my head on something?"

Sirius laughed and handed the letter to Remus. Remus read the letter. He read it again. He then read it one more time. Once he read the letter for a third time, he looked up at the men and promptly fainted. The two men looked to one another.

"Well, someone needs to wake up Sleeping Beauty here." Sirius suggested to Severus. The potions master rolled his eyes and stooped down to the werewolf's level. He shook the man several times until he woke up. "You okay, Moony?"

"Nothing will ever be the same again." Remus sighed.


	40. The Quidditch Championship

A/N: Any familiar content is from _The Goblet of Fire_ pp. 86-92. Sorry it's been a while since we've posted anything. This chapter was on another computer and it took us a while to get it back. One of us is student teaching this semester, and the other is starting high school, so we are dropping down to one chapter a week until we have the rest of the series finished. Thank you for your patience. We greatly appreciate the support. (PS: Prayers would be appreciated for both of us. This is a stressful period for our family, between school, work, and personal issues. Thanks for all in advance).

Quidditch World Championship

Lucius POV

Lucius watched as Draco slammed the door to his office. He sighed. He had wanted his son trained so that when the Dark Lord came, he would be ready to take his place in the inner circle. That, however, was seemingly more and more unlikely as time went on. It seemed to Lucius that he was losing his son to the light. He knew he had told his son that as a Gryffindor, he would be all but disowned, but now he was realizing how desperately he needed the boy.

Draco seemed very attached to Harry Potter. The two had become thick as thieves over the past three years. It was not until recently that Lucius realized that having Harry Potter as his son's friend may have some benefits. If he could convince Draco to continue to befriend Harry Potter, bring him around the manor, maybe he could take the boy and hand him over to the Dark Lord (if the man ever came to power again). It was a poor use of his son's friendship, but he could always hand over his son to the Dark Lord as well, to be a slave to him, if need be. But even if the Dark Lord never came back, Harry Potter was powerful enough that if he were swayed the "right" way, he too could become a dark lord. And who would be to thank for that? Lucius smirked evilly. He needed to find his son.

Lucius summoned Draco to dinner. Narcissa, as always, was out on a shopping spree. It would just be him and his son. Maybe tonight, he could broach the subject of his son's best friend.

"I know you have been in contact with Harry Potter." Lucius began. Draco got up from the table and made to walk out. "Draconis Lucius Malfoy, you have not been excused. Do not walk away from me." He commanded. Draco sighed and sat back down.

"What of it? I won't stop talking to him. He's my friend." Draco told his father. Lucius rolled his eyes.

"No, on the contrary, if you would like, you could invite him to come with us to the Quidditch World Tournament in a few weeks." Lucius suggested, taking his eyes off of his plate and looking into his son's eyes. "I obtained an extra ticket, and he _is_ the world's youngest seeker. It would seem remiss of me to not allow you to ask him to accompany us, as your friend and fellow teammate."

"What do you get out of it?" Draco inquired, looking menacingly. Lucius put on an innocent look.

"To see my only son happy?" He lied. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Only a few hours ago, you were threatening to disown me, again. I do not begin to believe you want to see me happy." Draco argued.

"Do you want to bring the boy or not?" Lucius asked, disgruntled. Draco huffed.

"On the condition that you will not directly or indirectly cause harm in body, soul, or mind to him." Draco insisted. "And perhaps Uncle Severus could stay for the week."

"And he would stop me from hurting the boy?" Lucius considered.

"Of course, he has to appear to be Dumbledore's right hand, doesn't he? I don't believe the headmaster would be very pleased if his favorite student was caused harm in view of one of his staff." Draco cautioned. Lucius nodded in agreement, smirking.

"Perhaps there is some Slytherin left in you." Lucius noted proudly. Draco rolled his eyes again.

No POV

Harry was in the garden, pulling weeds and wondering if he could somehow sneak into the house to grab a glass of water. He was parched. He was also on rations again, and water seemed to be something the Dursleys felt they could allot to him as they felt led. He was happy Padfoot was by his side, soaking in the summer sun. At this moment, the blond dog was panting and rolling onto his back, as if asking for Harry to rub his belly.

"Padfoot, no." Harry negated. The dog whined. Harry huffed. "If you'd help me get these done, then I'd have more time to play with you." Padfoot gave him a curious look. "Well, there's your answer then. You can't help me. I have to do this myself."

Padfoot, however, was not one to give up. He got up from where he was lying in the grass and began to try to pick the weeds with his teeth. Harry laughed as the dog fought with a particularly nasty weed. At one point, he got it in his teeth, but as he pulled, he lost balanced and fell to his rump. Harry dropped to the ground in laughter.

"Padfoot, thank you for your help. You've done well. Let me take care of the rest for now." Harry instructed, preparing to continue in his weeding.

"Why don't you let me?" Came a voice from behind him. Harry turned around to find Draco standing behind him.

"Draco?" Harry gasped. Dragon, also known as Padfoot, got up and began licking Draco's hands.

"I missed you too, Dragon." Draco told the dog, dropping to one knee and rubbing the dog's head. He turned to Harry. "What are you up to, Scarhead?" Draco looked around. "The muggles got you doing some menial labor?" Draco asked, disgusted.

"Yes, try it sometime for a change." Harry teased. Harry laughed again as Draco scrunched his nose in disgust.

"I'll leave that to the house elves, thank you very much." Draco informed his friend, laughing.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked. Before Draco could answer, another figure popped out from around the side of the house. Harry was surprised to see Professor Snape coming toward them.

"We are here, Harry, to take you back to Malfoy Manor." Severus informed the lad. Harry looked shock at the use of his first name. In ten years of knowing the man, he had never once heard Professor Snape use his first name. Harry looked at Draco concerned.

"What?" He asked, trying to figure out what was going on. Draco sighed.

"Father is taking us to the Quidditch World Cup, and he told me I could invite you." Draco informed his best friends.

"And you thought to tell me right when you were taking me away?" Harry questioned.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you were getting owls or not, and there really wasn't any other way to communicate with you." Draco explained. Harry looked down at his wrist, where his galleon communicator stayed firmly planted to his wrist.

"Really? No other way?" Harry half-hissed. Draco blushed profusely. Severus intervened.

"Hurry up, boys. We don't have all day." Severus reminded them. "Oh, and Harry, you might want to change into your robes. Nice ones, if you have them." Harry sighed.

"Let me get a shower, and I'll be right down." Harry told his professor. Severus nodded, looking toward Dragon. "Draco, you can come pack my things, if you like." Draco nodded, following his friend upstairs.

Severus stayed down in the garden. He looked over at Dragon.

"Black," He greeted. Dragon barked in response. Severus glared. "How do I know you're not insulting me?" Dragon growled.

Draco waltzed upstairs to Harry's room. He was surprised to find a totally different bedroom inside then the one he had seen two years before.

"This is different." The blond stated. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, Remus thought I needed a change of scenery." Harry explained. Draco smiled.

"Smart man." He replied. Harry looked solemn for a moment.

"How do I know your father won't kill me in my sleep?" Harry inquired. Draco sighed.

"We have an…arrangement." Draco said cryptically. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Let me get a shower. I'll be ready in five minutes." Harry informed him.

"A five minute shower?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yes, Draco, some of us can get ready in less than two hours." Harry teased, throwing a pillow at the blond before leaving for the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, the two were coming out of the house with all the things Harry would need for the year.

"Is that all?" Severus queried incredulously. Dragon growled, and Severus looked over at Black. He guessed it was not the child's fault that he did not have many things. Oh, someone would pay for placing his godson with Petunia Evans.

"Yes, this should be it." Harry assured the man.

"Good." Severus answered. He pulled out a torn-up shoe. "This is a portkey. Have you used one before?" Harry paled.

"Um, no. No, I have not." Harry lied. Draco looked confusedly at his friend. What was Harry's problem? It was just a portkey.

They all gathered around the shoe, and Dragon grabbed on with his teeth while everyone else held the key in their hands. Severus counted down and soon they were at Malfoy Manor.

"Your suite is next to mine." Draco announced, grabbing his friend's arm and pulling him toward the west wing.

"My suite?" Harry inquired. Draco smiled.

"Yes, your suite." Draco answered, as if it was no big deal. Harry shook his head. He and his friend had grown up completely differently, but they were still good friends, for some reason.

That evening, Harry had his first meal at Malfoy Manor. Lucius sat at the head of the table, looking menacing as always. Narcissa was nowhere to be seen, which surprised Harry only slightly. Severus sat at the other end. Surprisingly, Dragon was sitting on the ground next to the dark man, begging for food. The dark man did not look happy with this arrangement.

Harry sat across from Draco. He was completely surprised by the fact that he had yet to be killed or tied up. He also had been allowed to unpack his things without fear that someone would see them (other than Draco). He feared what might be said if someone else saw the state of his clothes.

"Mr. Potter, thank you again for agreeing to come with us to the Quidditch World Cup." Lucius intoned with a fake air.

"Thank you for inviting me, sir." Harry replied, just as fake.

"I trust your summer has thus far been uneventful?" Lucius inquired. Harry tried to keep a shocked look off his face. This timeline was too surreal. Lucius Malfoy was asking if he had had a good summer so far.

"You have no idea, sir." Harry responded. Severus snorted, and Dragon harrumphed.

"We will leave tomorrow sometime in the afternoon. I suggest you be prepared by then. I do not believe we will be camping out, but that does not mean we will not be there a long time." Lucius informed them. Harry had to wince thinking about Lucius and the Quidditch World Cup. He knew what was coming up, and he did not know how Draco would handle it this time.

"Of course, sir." Harry and Draco said in unison.

The next day, they left for the match. When they got there, they were greeted by Ludo Bagman. The man looked the same as ever, and Harry wished the man would go hide under a rock somewhere. He had done nothing to help Harry, and he hated the man for not stopping the Tri-Wizard Tournament when things started getting fishy.

"Ah, the man of every moment, Lucius Malfoy." Ludo greeted genially.

"Hello, there." Lucius called.

"Lucius, dear man, what a day, eh? What a day. Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming, and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements. Not much for me to do." Ludo Bagman exclaimed. Lucius nodded.

"Ah, yes. This is my son, Draco, and his _best_ friend, Harry Potter." Lucius introduced.

Ludo talked with Lucius for a while until Barty Crouch walked up.

"Talk of the devil, Barty!" Ludo called. Barty Crouch came up to them with his assistant, Percy Weasley.

Lucius talked with Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch. Meanwhile, Draco and Harry decided to go wandering off. They walked around the camp. Severys was firmly wrapped around Draco's arm, and Harry spent some time including him in the conversation.

": _I just do not understand why so many two-leggers would come to watch a bunch of others fly around on sticks.:_ " Severys hissed. Harry rolled his eyes. Severus was walking closely behind, entranced by his godson's talent of talking to snakes.

"What did he say?" Draco asked.

"He doesn't understand why people come to watch others fly around on brooms." Harry translated. Draco launched into a long-winded conversation with Severys of why people like watching others on brooms. Harry followed along closely, translating so that the snake would understand.

"While I do admit this is very interesting, I do believe I spot Miss Granger. Have you told her you would be here?" Severus asked as a bushy-haired girl came bounding over. When she got there, she engulfed Harry and Draco in a hug. Dragon began whining and moving around, trying to get Hermione's attention.

"I missed you too, Dragon." Hermione promised, dropping down on one knee to greet the dog. He licked her face several times. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Always the ladies' man, Black." Severus grumbled under his breath.

"What are you doing here, Mione?" Harry asked.

"The Weasleys invited me." Hermione explained.

"Why in the world would the Weasels invite you?" Draco inquired. "You don't even talk to Weasel or Weaslette."

"The twins apparently suggested inviting me. They figured you would bring Harry, and they talked Ron into thinking inviting me would get in good with Harry. I think the twins just wanted to make sure we were all together." Hermione figured. Draco looked incensed.

"Why would a Weasel care about that?" Draco grumbled. Hermione smiled.

"Because the twins are nice." Hermione informed her friend. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Teenagers." He muttered. He knew the reason Draco asked that question was because he was jealous. Severus considered the fact that his one godson was in love with a muggleborn. That would cause problems later.

He suddenly wondered how he got roped into babysitting three teenagers and a dog with attitude problems. Not that he minded watching his two godsons, but he had enough of teenagers during the school year.

At this point, the twins, Ron, and Ginny came bounding towards the little group. Harry sighed. He would rather not deal with Ron right now. However, he did like the twins, and Ginny was okay.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny greeted shyly, twirling her hair with her finger. Severus placed a hand on his forehead and sighed. Why had he not stayed at Spinner's End for the summer?

"Hi, Ginny. Have a good summer?" Harry asked, not too interested, but trying to be nice. Ginny nodded, smiling widely.

"Heya, Harry! How was your summer?" Ron pried. Harry sighed.

"Fine, Ron. How was yours?" Harry questioned politely. Ron smirked.

"It was good. How did you get here? We went over to your house to pick you up, but your aunt and uncle said you weren't there." Ron paused for a moment. "They weren't particularly happy to see us. The twins dropped a ton-tongue toffee (one of their own creations), and your cousin ate it. His tongue grew huge!" Ron blabbered. "But don't worry, Dad fixed it."

"Why does no one think to tell me things until the last minute?" Harry complained, looking at Draco. Draco tried not to blush.

"It's so fun to surprise you?" Draco suggested. Harry shook his head and sighed.

"No, it really isn't." Harry responded, thinking of all the surprises he got last time he lived this year.

"Hi Harry," Fred and George greeted in unison.

"Ready to watch the best match in a century?" Fred inquired.

"Yes, we predict that Ireland is going to win, but Krum will catch the snitch." George told them. "In fact, we already bet Ludo Bagman that that would happen." Harry sighed.

"No, you didn't." Harry groaned, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "You know what, I'll wager in that, too." Harry added, not wanting the twins to lose their life-savings. He still planned on giving the winnings to them, but maybe this would allow them to get started on their business a little early.

"Really, Harry?" George asked.

"Sure, why not?" Harry responded with a shrug.

"Harry, planning on any great adventures this year?" Ron inquired. Harry glared at Ron.

"Why? So you can take credit for them? I don't plan these things, Ron. In fact, if I had it my way, there would be no adventure." Harry enlightened. This caught Severus' attention. The boy did not want to go off on his grand adventures? He thought the son of a Marauder would look for danger at any possible moment.

Ron cowed. Draco smirked.

"You're caught red-handed, Weasel." Draco sneered. Severus made a decision.

"Draco, Mr. Potter, we should be going." Severus intoned. Harry and Draco nodded. Draco turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, come with us." Draco invited. Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"To your father?" Hermione questioned.

"Why not? You know how I love annoying daddy-dearest." Draco reminded her. Dragon panted and smiled. He saw so much of himself in the young blond.

"Oh, okay." Hermione agreed. The three teenagers walked off with Severus. She turned to Harry. "Why is Professor Snape here?" She whispered. Harry turned back.

"So Lucius Malfoy doesn't kill me?" Harry responded. Hermione glared.

"Do you think Lucius Malfoy would be so stupid as to kill the Boy-Who-Lived in his sleep?" Hermione rebutted. Harry shrugged.

"I don't know, but Draco made sure Professor Snape was here." Harry continued. At that moment, they arrived back at camp. Lucius Malfoy sneered at the newest addition to their group.

"Miss Granger," He greeted civilly. Hermione curtsied.

"Lord Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again. It has been too long." Hermione crooned. Severus smirked and snorted. Dragon panted as if he were laughing. Lucius glared at the girl.

"I see that we will be adding another Hogwarts student to our number tonight." Lucius drawled. Hermione shook her head.

"I am sorry to inform you, sir, but the Weasleys brought me. I will be sitting with them." Hermione corrected. Lucius smirked.

"Hmm. Pity." Lucius said. Then, he growled, "Weasleys."

"Father, they're in the camp around the corner. Why don't you strike up an argument with them?" Draco suggested maliciously. Hermione elbowed him in the gut.

"Well, it is almost time for the World Cup to start, so I should probably head over that way, anyway. Nice to see you again, Lord Malfoy. See you soon Draco, Harry, Dragon, Professor Snape." Hermione intoned politely. Professor Snape nodded, and Draco and Harry gave her a hug. Lucius glared at his son. Dragon nipped at Lucius. Lucius now glared at Dragon. Dragon smiled and panted. Severus secretly smiled and silently congratulated Black on a job well done.

The game began. Harry sat with Draco and Lucius. Harry was on edge, however. He knew Barty Crouch, Jr. was right behind him and in somewhat of his own mind. Draco looked over at his nervous friend.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, confused.

"I'll tell you later." Harry promised.

The game continued on. Ireland scored immensely. Krum caught the snitch. Ireland won. Harry noted that nothing changed. He was glad because he did not think the twins could afford losing to two people. Harry smiled, knowing that he had done a good thing with the changed timeline. He hoped Fate and Time were not too mad at his change. At least the twins did not have to try and blackmail Bagman this time.

They returned to camp. Draco and Harry were both on edge. Lucius turned to Draco.

"Now, Draco, I must leave for a short while. You must stay here. Do not get in my way." He turned to Harry. "As much as this pains me to say, stay out of the way, as well." He turned to Severus. "Severus, are you coming?" Severus shook his head.

"I do not believe it in good taste to participate, Lucius. Not when so many could testify of my absence to Dumbledore. Remember, I must keep my position with him." Severus reminded him. Lucius nodded.

"Of course. I apologize that you will miss out on all the fun." Lucius grinned evilly. Harry and Draco shivered in fear as he left. Severus informed the boys that they should stay inside the tent. He went out to keep watch.

Dragon turned into Sirius.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked. Harry shivered a little again.

"First Death Eater attack in the coming war." Harry informed his godfather. Sirius grabbed his wand and rushed toward the door. Severus blocked his path.

"Black, you idiot, get back inside." Severus commanded.

"Why should I?" Sirius argued.

"Do you really think getting in the middle of a Death Eater attack will help you in your defense?" Severus inquired. Sirius huffed.

"Fine." He turned back around and went back to his godson. "Did this happen last time?" Harry nodded. He thought for a moment.

"Hey, my wand won't be used this time to conjure the dark mark." Harry announced happily. He went to grab his wand. "Wait, where's my wand?"

"Don't you remember anything? Winky took it while you watched the game." Hermione reminded him as she entered the tent.

"What are you doing here?" Harry hissed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, I wasn't about to go with the Weasleys. Besides, you have another witness to state that you were here and not out and about casting dark spells." Hermione explained. Harry smiled.

"Did I mention I love you, Mione?" Harry told her. Draco sat back and glared at Harry. Sirius smirked at the teenaged angst going on in front of him.

At that point, they heard screaming. The attacks had begun.


	41. The Summer Ball

The Summer Ball

Harry looked at himself in the mirror. He could not tell whether he was grateful for the use of Draco's hair products or not. His hair finally laid down, but he felt so fake, so made up. He knew he should get used to this. In the last timeline, he had learned that his family was an ancient and noble house. He would one day be Lord Potter, and then he would have to get used to all the balls and parties involved. He had a mask to create-one that Draco was helping him make.

"You look lovely, dear." The talking Harry in the mirror told him. Harry shivered. That was just too creepy.

"Coming?" Draco asked. Harry turned to see the blond in his doorway. The boy had on dark green dress robes, the Malfoy crest over his right breast.

"Don't you look all noble?" Harry teased. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and perhaps one day you will as well. Maybe I should help you find your house crest." Draco suggested. Sirius rolled onto his back, groaning.

"I hate house crests." He moaned. Harry snickered.

"Why? You are from the most Ancient and Noble house of Black. That is something to be proud of." Draco informed him.

"Being born into a certain family is nothing to be proud of. It's not some great achievement. It's the luck of the draw." Sirius explained. Draco thought on this. He never considered this before.

"Last timeline, Sirius spent the summer burning all the Black family crests off of the tapestries and dress robes. He broke everything else with the crest and threw it away. You should have seen Kreacher saving everything he could find." Harry reminisced.

"Ugh, Kreacher. Is he still alive?" Sirius pondered. Harry nodded.

"Yep, and he led to your death. Although, he did redeem himself." Harry thought for a moment. "By the way, you need to have a better relationship with him this time. He has something very important that we need."

"What could he possibly have that is so important?" Sirius wondered. Harry shook his head and shrugged.

"You'll have to talk to him." Harry told his godfather. Sirius sneered. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Come along, Scion Potter." Draco teased. "It is time for your first appearance in our great world." Harry sighed.

"Fine." Harry ground out. He turned to his godfather. "Now, stay put Padfoot, and be a good boy."

The two boys walked down to the ballroom. For once, Narcissa was there. She was beautifully dressed in a dark green, A-line ball gown with a strapless, heart-shaped bodice covered in diamonds. Her hair was tied in a knot at the back of her head and her ears dripped in diamonds and emeralds.

"Harry Potter. You look lovely, my dear." Narcissa crooned. Harry blushed. His dark blue dress robes did look nice, but he hardly thought they deserved the praise Narcissa put forth. It was weird. She did, after all, want him dead, just like Lucius did.

"Thank you, Lady Malfoy. You look beautiful." Harry complimented. Narcissa smiled. She led them down to the ball and began introducing her son and his best friend to the rest of the party. Harry noted that most of the guests were Death Eaters, and he felt kind of like the main dish at a buffet. He also noted some ministry officials there. At least he knew this would keep the Death Eaters from taking him straight to Voldemort.

Harry was surprised to find Zabini amongst the guests.

"What's he doing here?" Harry asked Draco. Draco shrugged.

"He's Scion Zabini." Draco replied. Said future Death Eater walked over to him.

"What do you know, Potter? I never thought you would have the guts to come to a ball like this." Zabini pestered.

"Why not? One day, I will be Lord Potter. I might as well start learning my place in society." Harry retorted.

"If you make it past your majority, I'll be surprised." Zabini threatened. Draco butted in.

"He has already defeated the Dark Lord three times, Zabini. Do not count Harry Potter as among the dead, yet." Draco spat. _Yeah, just four more times to go._ Harry thought to himself sourly.

"That was just dumb luck, Malfoy." Zabini argued.

"I'd like to see you go against the Dark Lord three times and make it out alive." Draco purred. Zabini rolled his eyes.

"I would never go _against_ him, Malfoy." Zabini informed him.

"That's the problem." Harry muttered.

At this time, Pansy came up to Draco.

"Draco, dance with me." She ordered. Draco turned to his best friend. _Help me_ , he mouthed.

"What do you want, Parkinson?" Harry huffed exasperatedly.

"You may have tarnished him by turning him into a Gryffindor, but I can save him." Parkinson stated. Draco rolled his eyes.

"You have too much faith in your own abilities, Parkinson." Draco drawled.

"He's taken, Parkinson." Harry defended. Draco gave Harry a nasty look. Pansy perked up.

"Oh, by who?" She inquired.

"Hermione Granger." Harry pointed out.

"The mudblood?" Pansy pushed.

"Don't call her that." Draco spat out, fists clenching. Zabini smirked.

"Got yourself a girlfriend?" Zabini teased. "My, my, what would Daddy Dearest say about his scion dating a mudblood."

"I said, stop calling her that." Draco ground out, ready to strike.

At that moment, Severus walked over.

"Draco, Mr. Potter, Minister Fudge has been demanding that he speak with the two of you." Severus lied. Draco and Harry got the hint and walked away with Severus. "Mr. Zabini, Miss Parkinson." He dismissed.

Once they were a distance away, Severus turned to his godsons. "You must be willing to leave when a conversation like that is escalating." Severus instructed. "You must keep your anger in check, Dragon. Especially when your father is around. Imagine what would have happened if he knew you got in a fight over a muggleborn student, let alone one that you seem to have feelings for." Draco blushed and went to deny it. Severus lifted his hand to stop the boy. "Don't deny it. You are among friends here. I, too, once loved a muggleborn in the same way." Harry winced. He really wished Severus would stop talking about his mother in that way.

"Of course, Uncle Sev." Draco agreed.

"Why don't you go back to your room. I will come up with a good excuse as to why you left." Severus promised. Draco and Harry nodded in agreement. Severus left and Harry and Draco walked toward Draco's room.

"Why do you think my father did what he did?" Draco asked Harry out of the blue. Harry turned to his friend in shock.

"Like, what? Join Voldemort? I heard he was a lot more persuasive back then." Draco shook his head.

"Why did he return? Didn't he know I would have to be given over to the Dark Lord? Why was he so willing to offer me up as a living sacrifice to his lord?" Draco wondered aloud. Harry sighed.

"I don't know, Dragon." Harry responded honestly. Draco swallowed.

"I don't want that to happen again. I know he was one of the Death Eaters that attacked at the World Cup." Draco admitted. Harry rolled his eyes.

"It was pretty obvious." Harry argued. Draco smirked.

"What should I do?" Draco asked his friend. Harry shrugged.

"Maybe you should go to Professor Snape. I'm sure he could tell you how best to handle the whole situation." Harry advised. Draco nodded.

"Maybe I will. I just want to be out of this war." Draco acknowledged. Harry smirked.

"I hear you. Though, if you really wanted out of the war, you really shouldn't have befriended me." Harry pointed out. Draco laughed.

"At least this way, I'm on the winning side." Draco teased. Harry laughed again.

"Let's hope." Harry agreed. At this point, they were back in Harry's room. Sirius was there.

"Hey Harry, how was your first ball? Was it as tedious as I told you it would be?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded.

"Even more so." Harry admitted. Draco turned to Harry suddenly.

"So, what happened this year? I think we deserve to know." Draco drawled. Harry nodded.

"I do have to explain why I was on edge during the tournament." Harry guiltily remembered. Sirius sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for the two boys to sit on either side of him.

"Well," Sirius prompted. Harry sighed.

"Well, we went to the Cup with the Weasleys. That's where I met Mr. Diggory. That was my first portkey ride. I watched with Ron and Hermione. After that, the Death Eaters attacked. I was blamed for the Dark Mark in the sky, because it was my wand." Harry began.

"Just like this time." Draco interrupted. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Only, I was right next to my wand when they found me, so it was more suspicious. Remember, they came and gave it back to me and warned me to take better care of it this time." Harry pointed out. Sirius nodded.

"Continue," He pushed. Harry nodded.

"I began having visions at this point. Voldemort was with Pettigrew and a man I did not recognize. It latter turned out to be Barty Crouch, Jr." Harry told them. "We got to Hogwarts and we were told of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I was glad because I saw no way I could enter and therefore, I thought I would have a year free of anxiety and worry."

"No such luck for the boy-who-lived." Draco sighed, teasing the boy.

"Exactly. Sirius, Mad-Eye Moody will be the DADA professor this year. Except, it won't be Mad-Eye. Barty Crouch Jr. takes him captive and Polyjuices himself to be Mad-Eye." Harry explained.

"That ba…I mean, jerk." Sirius corrected. Harry nodded. Draco's eyes widened in understanding.

"So, it was a Death Eater that turned me into a ferret?" Draco queried. Harry laughed and nodded.

"Yep. He taught us about the Unforgivables. Remember that, Draco? It should have been the first sign. It really was stupid of him to do. It taught me how to fight off an Imperius Curse." Harry thought.

"You can fight off an Imperius Curse?" Sirius gasped, astounded. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, it only really took me two tries. Anyway, Barty entered me into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, ensuring I would be chosen by adding a fourth school. It chose me. Everyone turned on me. I had no idea what was going to happen. Hagrid informed me that the First Task would be dragons. I knew that the other champions except for Cedric would know what happened. I went and told Cedric so it would be fair. He returned the favor by telling me how to figure out the second task. I took the message too seriously and thought all of them would die." Harry informed them.

"So, that's why you came in last. You played the hero?" Draco asked. He considered this. "Not very surprised." Harry smirked.

"Yeah, so the final task came around and Cedric and I made it to the trophy at the same time. We decided to take it together, so that both Hogwarts champions won. It was a portkey, and it took us to a graveyard. Wormtail was there with Voldemort's wand. He killed Cedric, and tied me to a tombstone-Tom Riddle's tombstone." Harry continued.

"Who's Tom Riddle?" Sirius asked.

"Voldemort's father." Harry answered off-handedly. "You know what would really annoy him? If I started calling him that. I think I will address Voldemort as Tom Riddle from now on."

"Maybe you should even call him Tim sometimes, just to annoy him further." Draco suggested. Harry laughed and nodded.

"Anyway, I watched him come back to life. Then, he called all his Death Eaters to him. Your father was there, Draco." Harry admitted sadly. Draco shook his head.

"He's no father of mine." Draco announced. Harry nodded in understanding. Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I didn't know you could disown family the other way around." Sirius commented. Harry smirked.

"You can when you're a Dragon." He teased. Draco pushed Harry off the bed. Harry laughed again.

"I escaped, but not before he got out two Cruciatus curses and an Avada Kedavra that just missed me. I yelled out Expelliarmus at the same time, and the wands connected. Their cores are brothers, and so they can't harm each other." Harry explained. Draco nodded. Sirius shook his head.

"Only you, Prongslet." Sirius sighed.

"Anyway, that's why I have such an aversion to portkeys. I hate the things because I can never trust them." Harry continued. Draco nodded in understanding.

"Okay, then, let's change it all." Sirius suggested. Harry and Draco shook their heads.

"No," They agreed in unison. Sirius looked confused.

"Why the heck not?" Sirius asked.

"Time made us promise we wouldn't change anything too drastically. This would be pretty drastically." Harry explained.

"We'll just have to make it through." Draco agreed. Harry quirked an eyebrow at his friend.

" _We_?" Harry questioned. Draco smiled.

"Yes, _we_ , together. You're not alone in this anymore, brother." Draco promised. Harry smiled.

"Together?" Harry clarified. Draco nodded.

"Always." He promised.


	42. Advice from Uncle Sev

Advice from Uncle Sev

Harry and Draco soon found themselves back at Hogwarts. They rode the train with Luna, Hermione, and Dragon. They spent the train ride explaining to Luna what happened this upcoming year. She gasped and groaned in sync with the story, much to Harry's delight.

They arrived and the sorting feast occurred as usual. They were told of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which Harry completely ignored. He did not for a moment believe Dumbledore's promises that no one under the age of seventeen could enter the tournament. He knew that was a lie.

Harry's heart did skip a beat or two when Moody came crashing in. He did not want to admit how much knowing the man was Barty Crouch Junior affected him. It just did. He wanted to think anyone in his situation would feel the same way, but that did not make any of it better.

That night, he lent Draco his invisibility cloak. Draco promised to have it back before long. Harry shrugged.

"Take it for as long as you need it, Dragon. I'm going to bed. I won't have need of it anytime soon." Harry promised. Draco smirked. Dragon whined and snuffed at the cloak.

"You want to come, too?" Draco offered to Dragon. The dog nodded its head. He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He made room under the cloak for the dog. Soon, the two of them were off.

Severus knew he heard a knock at his door. However, when he opened the door, he found no one there. He knew he was not going crazy. Something must be going on.

"Black, if this is a trick, I am not amused." He stated. Suddenly, feet appeared as Sirius turned back into a man and the cloak lifted off the younger boy. He pulled off the cloak.

"I'm not that bad." He stated, stepping into the dark man's rooms. Severus let his godson in and closed the door.

"Yes, Black, come on in. You're always welcome here, in my private quarters." Severus drawled sarcastically. Black took a seat on the couch.

"Why thank you, Severus. However, I do believe we are here concerning your godson, and not as a social visit." Sirius teased. Severus rolled his eyes.

"What is it, Dragon?" Severus inquired gently. Sirius huffed.

"I told you, Severus, I'm not the one you need to talk to." Severus and Draco glared. "Oh, not me. Got it. We really should have thought of a different name, specifically one that is not a pet name for your godson."

"Draco, what do you need?" Severus restated. Draco smirked.

"I know Father was one of the one's who attacked those muggles at the Cup." Draco told his godfather.

"Was it that obvious?" Severus teased. Draco snorted.

"I just don't know what to do, Uncle Sev. I don't agree with what he did. I don't agree with his ideals. I…I love a muggleborn, Uncle Sev. I mean, really love her, and I even think she might like me. I even think I might want to marry her someday." Severus quirked an eyebrow at that. Why was a fourteen-year-old considering marriage? "How can I bring her home to Mother and Father? How could I tell them I don't want to marry a rotten, pureblood wench? They'd kill her, Uncle Sev." Draco was near tears, his throat closing up. Severus rubbed his back.

"Dragon," Severus glared at Sirius to remain silent. "You have plenty of time to think those things through. You are fourteen. Things may change…"

"But you know they won't. I know the Dark Lord is returning, Uncle Sev. I also know Father wants to hand me over to the man, if need be. I don't want to be his slave, Uncle Sev. I want to be free. I don't want to kill anyone, but if I do, I want to do so because I was protecting the truth. I want to fight for the oppressed, not the oppressor." Draco did not mention this meant also going against Dumbledore. He did not mention the third side slowly being created. He would wait for later to tell the man all that.

"Draco, I understand. I had to make the same decision a long time ago. I, however, made the wrong one. I chose acceptance of my peers over the truth, and I had to live with my decision. I lost the woman I loved." At this, Sirius tried not to gag at the thought of Lily and Severus together. "I lost everything I knew. You might have to lose everything, too."

"I finally have friends that I love, Uncle Sev. Harry, Hermione, Luna, I don't want them to get hurt." Draco explained. Severus nodded.

"I completely understand that, too. That is what made me turn back to the light. Make your choice wisely, Draco. Know this, though. You cannot have it all, not in this war. You must choose between your friends and your family. I hate to say that to you, Dragon, but it is the truth." Severus informed his godson. _I had to_ , Sirius thought. He once again felt a kinship for the blond sitting across from him.

"I understand, Uncle Sev. I already know who I will choose." Draco promised.

"Good, now off to bed with you." Severus ordered. Draco nodded and picked up the invisibility cloak. "What is that?" Severus asked.

"Harry's invisibility cloak. I believe it was Harry's father's." Draco told his godfather. Severus looked accusingly at Sirius. Sirius cowed.

"Well, use it well. You know I will confiscate it if you use it against other students?" His godfather noted, pointedly looking at Sirius. Sirius sneered.

"Yes Mum," He retorted. Severus glared at the man.

"Not you, idiot!" Severus snapped. Draco smiled.

"We don't use it against other students, Uncle Sev. I promise." Draco swore, again pointedly looking at Sirius. Severus let the boy out. Draco turned to the man. "By the way, Uncle Sev, Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet." Severus looked confused.

"How could he?" The man asked. Draco shrugged.

"Just something to keep in mind." Draco stated, leaving. Severus sat back down.

"I assume you're not here for moral support?" Severus presumed.

"What? Can't I kill two birds with one stone?" Sirius asked the man.

"You seem to have a lot of fun killing things, Black." Severus noted.

"I never killed you. You're here, aren't you? Obviously, my 'plans' fell through." Sirius argued. Severus snorted. "I think it is time we have a parent-teacher conference."

"I have those on my own on a daily basis, apparently." Severus sighed. Sirius scoffed.

"That's what we need to discuss. What are we going to do, Severus?" Sirius asked.

"We're on a first name basis now, Black?" Severus queried. Sirius huffed.

"Well, it's either that or Snivellus, and you never seemed to like that very much." Sirius pointed out. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Continue." Severus drawled.

"So, what is the plan? I mean, we have a year to figure out where he's going, but what about Christmas? Who will he spend time with for the New Year?" Sirius inquired.

"We're planning out a custody agreement?" Severus asked in disbelief. Sirius nodded.

"Of course, though I hate to admit it, Harry should spend time with both of his godfathers." Sirius acknowledged. Severus sighed.

"I don't think we should tell Harry, yet." Severus admitted.

"Why not?" Sirius wondered. Severus rolled up his left sleeve.

"Because of this." Severus explained, pointing to his nearly returned Dark Mark. Sirius bit his lip. "It's also been burning lately."

"Even more reason why Harry needs both his godfathers. I'm assuming this means he is returning?" Sirius inquired. Severus nodded.

"I'm positive he already has a plan in place." Severus recounted. Sirius nodded back.

"Harry will need a lot of training, and he'll need our support. As much as I would love it to be otherwise, we need you, Severus." Sirius argued.

"Let Harry enjoy this year. Then, we can start training." Severus suggested. Sirius bit back a disagreement. He could not tell him about the impostor, or the Third Task. None of it could be mentioned.

"Just…keep me in the loop. With the Dark Mark, any contact you make, anything. Even keep me in the loop with Professor Dumbledore…" Sirius commanded. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Sure, with _him_ you use 'professor'." Severus growled. Sirius bit back.

"Well, he was _my_ professor." Sirius stopped himself. "Severus, this will get us nowhere. Just, please, keep me up-to-date with the goings on in the castle, okay?"

"Agreed." Severus nodded. He turned to let Sirius out. "Where did Potter obtain an invisibility cloak?"

"It's been passed down the Potter line for generations." Sirius informed him before turning into Dragon and running off. Severus shut the door. Something nagged him about the invisibility cloak, he just could not put a finger on it.

Sirius returned to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady took one look at the blond dog and opened up. Sirius transformed back into himself, knowing the portraits would not tell anyone who was there. Dumbledore had already informed them of his innocence and of how he would be staying with Harry.

"So, all I had to do was come up to you as a dog, and you would have let me in?" Sirius growled out in annoyance. The Fat Lady shrugged.

"Coming or going, dear?" She inquired. Sirius rolled his eyes, transformed back into a dog, and walked on through to Harry's room.

Unbeknownst to Sirius, Neville Longbottom sat in one of the chairs, facing away from the portrait, frozen with fright. He had seen the whole exchange. He could not believe what he had heard. Sirius Black was Harry's beloved dog, Dragon? Should he say something? Did Harry know? He assumed the man meant no harm, since he had spent over a year with them and had done nothing to hurt them, but this was still a curious thing. The boy decided to keep a closer watch on Harry and his dog. What else could they possibly be hiding?


	43. Goblet of Fire

A/N: All familiar content is from _The Goblet of Fire_ pp. 235-287

Goblet of Fire

The first month and a half of classes went by as usual. Professor Snape seemed to take a different approach to Harry's learning this year. Somehow, he had even gained five points to Gryffindor during his first class. Everyone asked him how he did it, afterwards. He still claimed to not know.

One particular day, the Golden Trio and Dragon were on their way to classes, talking of the arriving schools that night. They noticed on the board that someone had posted a sign. It read,

"TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT: The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at six o'clock on Friday the Thirtieth of October. Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the welcoming feast."

"Brilliant!" Ron cheered. "It's Potions last thing on Friday. Snape won't have time to poison us all."

Both Harry and Draco glared at the redhead. That was totally unfair to Professor Snape, and he was a professor! He deserved their respect! Harry shook his head. _Since when did I think that_? He wondered.

Harry, Hermione, and Draco headed down to Potions class, on that particular Friday. Neville close behind. He overheard every word the trio said, and it made him decide to keep a closer eye on his friends.

"Wonder what he'll have us doing?" Hermione asked. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Whatever he did last time." He whispered quietly. Hermione shrugged.

When they walked in, they took their usual seat in the front. Harry sat back and got out his quill and parchment. Professor Snape walked in and told them to put their wands away.

"Today, we will be discussing theory rather than brewing a potion. This way, we will not be interrupted by our early departure." Professor Snape reasoned. He began lecturing on the proper stirring patterns for healing potions. Harry and Hermione took turns answering questions, and Draco sat there looking bored out of his mind. Before they knew what happened, the end of the day came.

They all put their things away and lined up at the entrance. Dragon stood between Draco and Harry, and Severys was wrapped loosely around Draco's neck. Durmstrang came from Black Lake and Beauxbatons from the sky. Dragon began panting heavily when the Beauxbaton girls arrived.

Dumbledore started to clap. The students following his lead, started to applaud, many of them standing on tiptoe to get a better look at the Headmistress of Beauxbaton. Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand.

"My dear, Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts." Dumbledore greeted. Harry noted the amount of posturing that had occurred during the original timeline.

"Dumblydore." Madame Maxime said in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

Dumbledore similarly greeted Karkaroff, while the rest of the school move into the Great Hall and sat down. Harry began getting bored. Could they just get onto the part where everyone wanted to kill him? Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a French feminine voice.

"Excuse me, are you wanting zee bouillabaisse?" Fleur asked him. He shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts.

"Hi, Miss…?" Harry started. She had finally removed her muffler. A long sheet of silvery blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes and very white even teeth. Ron went purple. He went to reply, but nothing came out except a faint gurgling noise. Dragon stood up from where he was laying and barked playfully at the girl.

"Miss Fleur Delacour. You are 'arry Potter, no? And 'o ees dees cute little puppy dog? May I?" Fleur asked permission to pet Dragon as she got down on one knee. Harry smirked.

"I think I would be mauled if I said no." Harry teased. Neville snorted. Fleur smiled, still not quite understanding the English language. She began to pet and love on Dragon, who soaked it up gleefully. Ron and Draco both were annoyed Dragon got more attention from the part-veela than they did. "His name is Dragon, by the way."

"What a pleasant name for such a sweet animal." Fleur cooed. Hermione giggled.

"Sirius is soo loving this." Hermione whispered to Harry. He laughed and nodded in agreement. They were interrupted by the beginning of Dumbledore's speech.

"The moment has come," Dumbledore began, "the Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket. Just to clarify, the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce to you, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, head of Department of International Magical Co-operation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, head of Department of Magical Games and Sports." Harry noted the amount of applause for Ludo Bagman. He sneered. How could such a dishonest man be so well-liked?

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts." Dumbledore continued. "The casket, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Harry watched as Filch brought out the Goblet of Fire. He cringed at the thought that he would soon be entered against his will into this deadly tournament.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman and they have made necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways. Their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deductions and of course, their abilities to cope with danger." At this, Dragon growled. Who in the world thought it okay to allow a fourteen-year-old to enter this game?

"As you know, three champions will compete in this tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector, the Goblet of Fire. Anybody wishing to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of paper and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage students yield to temptation, I will be drawing an age line around the Goblet of Fire, once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line." Harry snorted. Yeah, right. That was true if your headmaster didn't have some sort of death wish for you.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the Goblet constitutes a binding magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, you are whole-heartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the Goblet. Now I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all." Dumbledore dismissed the crowd. Harry sighed.

"Want to go to the dorm until I'm called to my death?" Harry offered Hermione and Draco.

"Sure, this was not that exciting the first time around." Draco sneered.

"Yes, as if you did not think it the best thing in the world that Krum sat at your table." Hermione sniffed. Draco smirked.

"Well, he didn't spend too much time at his table, did he, Mione?" Draco teased. Luna walked over and smiled.

"Can I come with you? I am not very pleased with tonight's entertainment." Luna admitted. Harry smiled.

"Of course, come with!" Harry invited. Draco and Hermione shared a smirk.

They went up to Harry and Draco's dorm and Sirius transformed back.

"Wow! Did you see those girls? I mean, just, wow!" Sirius gushed. Harry laughed.

"Calm down there, Padfoot." Harry instructed. Sirius shook his head.

"I spent twelve years in Azkaban. I earned my right to gush about girls." Sirius argued. Draco smiled.

"Especially part-veela girls." Draco teased.

"Not surprised she was part-veela. She was beautiful." Sirius described. Harry sighed.

"She is, like, seventeen years younger than you, Padfoot." Harry informed his godfather. " _I_ probably would have a better shot with her, seeing as I'm _not_ an escaped convict."

"Yeah, that tends to be a turn off for girls." Hermione interjected. Sirius sighed.

"Being on the run just isn't something us girls do for fun." Luna added. Draco laughed, then he turned serious.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Draco asked. Luna looked concerned.

"What happens tomorrow, other than the obvious, of course?" Luna inquired.

"Harry gets chosen as a second Hogwarts champion." Hermione intervened. She looked at Harry compassionately.

"Everything will be fine, Mione. We know the end of the story. I win." Harry rejoiced. "This time, I'll save Cedric. I'll just take the cup, they will all be transported back to the arena, and I'll face Tom alone." Sirius' face grew dark.

"I don't like this plan, Harry." He told his godson. Harry shook his head.

"I'm not too fond of it, either, but it has to happen." Harry assured them.

"Well, whatever happens, we'll get through it together." Hermione defused the situation. She bumped Harry's shoulder. "Right?" Harry smiled.

"Together." He agreed.

The next day, Harry dreaded dinner. However, it came quickly and he sat as Dumbledore read his name aloud to the castle. He sighed. He got up and slunk over to Dumbledore, trying to make it obvious that he was not happy with this arrangement. He looked over at Severus, who looked horrified. He followed Dumbledore into the antechamber, and Severus was close behind him.

"You cannot even begin to consider sending Mr. Potter into that tournament." Professor Snape began. He turned to Harry. "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" He asked calmly.

"No, I did not." Harry said truthfully.

"Did you ask someone else to put it in for you?"

"No, I did not."

"Did you in anyway directly or indirectly affect the Goblet so that your name would be chosen?"

"No, I did not." Harry repeated with finality. Severus nodded in acceptance.

"Then, go back to your dormitory. This will be situated later." Severus ordered. Harry was about to comply when Dumbledore stepped in.

"Harry, do not leave. Severus has no authority to send you out or decide your innocence." Dumbledore stated. Harry sighed. He would rather Severus have authority over him than Dumbledore.

"What do you need, Professor?" Harry asked defeatedly. Severus nodded his head in agreement.

"Why do you need Mr. Potter? He has clearly not entered his name into the tournament. Therefore, he is under no contractual agreement to actually compete in these fool games." Severus argued. Barty Crouch Senior entered the room.

"The boy must compete." He decided with conclusiveness. Severus glared at the man.

"He is under the age of majority. He is not old enough to sign a legal contract. Therefore, the Goblet of Fire holds no legal ground in this case." Severus debated. Crouch shook his head.

"Anyone who accessed that cup and was admitted to put their name in immediately signed a contract." Crouch continued. Severus shook his head.

"But he did not put his name in that Goblet." Severus spit. Harry was taken aback. Since when did Severus Snape defend him with this ferocity?

"How do we know for sure?" Bagman asked, jovially. "Seems the boy just wanted a bit of fun. Let's let him play." Harry rolled his eyes. This was _not_ his idea of fun.

"Mr. Potter is a lot of things, Bagman, but one thing he is not is a liar. But if you so wish, I am sure he would accept to being interviewed under Veritaserum." Severus suggested.

"No, whether he did it himself or not does not matter. His name was entered. It created a binding contract to his name. He _must_ compete or die." Crouch warned. Harry gulped. Severus huffed. He looked over at Dumbledore.

"You can't seriously want your Golden Boy to fight to the death in this disgusting tournament, do you?" Severus almost pleaded. Dumbledore shrugged.

"He makes a compelling case, Severus. I am in no place to stop this. I am not about to test the theory that the person who placed his name in there is the one who is under contractual agreement. This is Harry's life at stake. We will let him compete." Dumbledore decided. Harry sighed. So much for a change in the timeline. This was going to be a _fun_ year.


	44. After the Goblet of Fire

Dumbledore and Harry Chat

When everything was decided, Dumbledore excused the champions, as well as the others. Harry, on the other hand, did not budge. Dumbledore motioned for him to leave once again. Harry shook his head.

"Professor, I would like a word with you." Harry told him. Dumbledore looked confused.

"Harry, I'm sure whatever it is can at least wait until morning. You had a stressful night. Get some rest." Dumbledore ordered. Harry shook his head again.

"No, Professor. I need to talk to you tonight." Harry demanded. Dumbledore sighed.

"Of course. Come to my office, Harry." Dumbledore motioned for Harry to go in front of him, and the boy did so. They walked in silence all the way to Dumbledore's office, though the headmaster had tried to strike up a conversation a few times. Harry had just ignored him. He was already thinking how this conversation had to go in his head.

Once they arrived at their destination, Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk. He motioned for Harry to take a seat in front of him. Harry sat down, trying to keep his gaze with the headmaster. The silence in the room was deafening.

"Why?" Harry spat. Dumbledore was taken aback. He shook his head.

"Why what, Harry?" The older man questioned. Harry sneered.

"Why me? Why my life? You have so many other people's lives you could be ruining. Why did you have to choose mine?" Harry inquired, almost pleadingly. Dumbledore sighed.

"Harry, what makes you think I am trying to ruin your life?" Dumbledore asked him, a strange look overtaking his face. It seemed like he was holding back triumph, or fear, or a mixture of the two. He looked like he was watching as his plans almost came to fruition, but were about to be altered ever so slightly. Harry wondered what was behind the look.

"I lived my life abused. I know you knew about it. I know Arabella Figg is your spy. I know you planned my entire first year around the Philosopher's Stone so that I would go after it. You knew Quirrell hid Voldemort, but you wanted me to face him, didn't you? It seems like my entire life has become one big deathtrap, Professor. I'm sick of it. Why didn't you defend me tonight? Why am I still signed up for a tournament that I didn't even qualify for? I don't meet the requirements necessary to even compete…" Harry ranted.

"Harry, what makes you say that?" Dumbledore interrupted.

"I'm not seventeen!" Harry shouted. He jumped from his chair and started pacing. "I'm not seventeen. I'm not old enough to sign a legally binding contract. I didn't sign the contract, someone signed it for me! Yet, here you are, forcing me to compete. I don't want to fight, Headmaster. I want _one year_ where something isn't out to maim, torture, or _kill_ me. Is that too much to ask?" Dumbledore sighed and looked around his office, as if bored. This annoyed Harry further. "You don't even seem to care that I've been entered into a life-threatening competition! I am _your_ student. I am _your_ responsibility. If I die, _you're_ the one who will have to answer to my godfather. Merlin, it's like you want me _dead_ or something!" Harry shouted. He stopped.

 _No, it can't be true_ , Harry thought to himself. He knew Dumbledore had told Snape Harry had to die to save the wizarding world, but had he _really_ wanted to _kill_ Harry? Harry began to shake his head in disbelief. He began to hyperventilate and he had to sit down.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You want me dead, don't you?" Harry interrogated. Silence rang out for a long time. "Don't you?!" Harry screamed at the man.

Dumbledore looked at Harry apathetically. He sighed and hunched his shoulders slightly. Then, he got up and looked out his office window. All Harry could do was shake his head in disbelief. His anger began to rise and he began to pant heavily.

"Why? Why didn't you kill me back then? You had the chance. You had the opportunity. I was right there! You could have dropped me! You could have put a pillow over my head and ended it! Why did you raise me to _die_?" Harry growled. The headmaster turned back to Harry.

"Are you quite done, Mister Potter?" Dumbledore questioned. Harry snorted.

"Breathing? Not yet." Harry retorted. He jumped out of his chair.

"Harry, I knew you were destined to die the moment I heard the prophecy. I learned not to form attachments to lost causes years ago." Dumbledore started. Harry clenched his teeth. "Yes, you will die. Whether it be by my hand or by Voldemort's is yet to be seen. I believe a lot of it has to do with what you decide. You can go out like a hero or a tragedy can occur. It really is up to you."

"All this time? Every year? All you tried to do was kill me?" Harry asked, half-hurt, half-livid. Dumbledore shrugged.

"I figured what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You need to be strong if you want to defeat Voldemort." Dumbledore added. Harry huffed.

"I could run away, right now. I could take Sirius, Mione, Draco, even Professor Snape, and we could all run away. We could go anywhere. It doesn't take much to get lost. A little plastic surgery and my scar's gone. You would never be able to find us." Harry threatened. Dumbledore cocked his head to the side.

"You wouldn't really do that, would you Harry? You wouldn't let the good wizards and witches of England suffer at the hand of a delusional man just so that you could live a cushy life on the continent somewhere." Dumbledore replied.

"Either way, the wizarding world is screwed. You're turning out to be a not-so-hot option, as well." Harry attacked.

"Do you really think you are more valuable than all of England? All of the world?" Dumbledore continued, ignoring Harry.

"You made sure I didn't think that way. You had my uncle and aunt torture me so that I would think of myself as less than I am." Harry accused. Dumbledore lifted his hands in surrender.

"I only take credit for knowing they would not be kind to you. I did not tell them to specifically abuse you, nor did I instruct them on how to do it. I'm not a monster." Dumbledore joked. Harry shook his head.

"No, you are worse than a monster! What? Were you planning on having me attack Voldemort, dying, and then you stepping in to finish him off?" Harry queried snidely. Dumbledore considered this.

"That was the general outline, I do admit. Harry, don't you wonder how I _knew_ Voldemort would return? Or better yet, did you ever think to ask the question how he didn't die that night?" Dumbledore wondered. Harry sighed.

"How?" He asked defeatedly. He had to admit, he was running out of steam. All of his worst fears were being realized and he did not even begin to know what to do.

"Harry, have you ever heard of a horcrux?" Dumbledore probed. Harry lied and shook his head. "It is an awful piece of magic. It is something created when a person splits his soul and places part of said soul in a container. That container keeps the soul and tethers the person to this earth. While they might not have a physical body, they are still alive. The only way to split one's soul, however, is through murder. Killing splits the soul and allows the person to create their own immortality. Usually, the person who wishes to create one only creates one. However, Tom Riddle was always exceptional and did not want to change that. He created seven, Harry. One of them, I'm almost sorry to say, is you." There was a beat of silence. Then, another. Harry waited for more explanation. He waited for Dumbledore to say he was disheartened to find out this was the case. He waited for something to happen that would restore his faith in the man that stood before him.

"I'm guessing, then, that for the person to die, the horcrux must be destroyed? So, the reason I have to _die_ is because I have a horcrux in me?" Harry queried. Dumbledore nodded. Harry brought it back full circle. "So, the reason you allowed my name to be entered into these games and have not argued for my elimination is that I have a piece of Tom Riddle's soul inside of me and the only way for me to get it out is to die, preferably in these games so that you can get the glory of defeating Riddle? Did I get that right, sir?" Harry snapped. Dumbledore considered this.

"That is about the short and long of it, yes." Dumbledore confessed. Harry shook his head once again. This could not be happening. This was a nightmare. He would wake up at any moment and find this all to be a bad dream. Harry got up to leave. "Oh, and Harry, I would suggest you not tell your friends about this. Not that you could, now that I think about it. This plan has been under Fidelius Charm since the day after your parents died. Alastor Moody knows and Miss Figg knows. Other than that, I do believe the occupants of this room are the only ones who know what I have told you tonight." Harry felt defeated. He nodded.

"Of course, sir." Harry turned and opened the door. He turned when Dumbledore spoke one last time.

"Remember, Harry. In the end, we are doing this for the greater good of the wizarding world." Dumbledore purred. Harry nodded numbly. He walked through the door, closed it, and…ran into thin air? Harry did a double take. He felt the air in front of him and hit something. His eyes widened in understanding. He pushed the mass in front of him to move them. They all headed toward Gryffindor Tower.

As soon as the door closed, Draco and Hermione dropped the invisibility cloak.

"How much did you two hear?" Harry asked. Hermione was shaking and Draco was red.

"We followed you out of the atrium." Draco replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh," Harry muttered. Before they could say more, Dragon came prancing down. He whined at Harry and motioned for him to head up to bed. "In a little bit, Dragon. I need to talk to Mione and Draco, okay? It's kind of private. I'll talk to you about it when I can." Harry promised. Dragon whimpered, but licked Harry's hand and pranced off toward the dorms. As soon as they were sure they were alone, they once again began talking.

"I can't _believe_ Dumbledore!" Hermione shrieked. Draco and Harry both widened their eyes in surprise. Yeah, they were mad, too, but Hermione Granger _never_ disrespected a professor before, let alone the headmaster.

"Yeah, Harry. I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did to you last time. I'm sorry for anytime I was a prat this time. I'm just…sorry." Draco apologized. "You have enough on your plate." Harry sighed.

"Guys, please don't take pity on me. It's nothing we didn't know before. It's just now we can't put blinders on and pretend the problem doesn't exist." Harry explained. Hermione sighed.

"Yes, but since we have to face it, that makes it more real. Harry, everyone besides Sirius and Professor Snape is officially out to _kill_ you." Hermione stated. Draco shot up.

"Hey! We don't want to kill him!" Draco reminded her. Hermione blushed.

"Of _course_ we don't want to kill him. Luna doesn't, either. We three are a given." Hermione snapped. "Harry, anyone who is a part of the Order must now be seen as a potential threat. They probably don't even know that they are. But if they are following Dumbledore's orders, then they are a threat to you." Harry groaned.

"Maybe this was easier when we were oblivious." Harry moaned. Hermione patted him on the shoulder.

"Everything will be okay, Harry." She promised. He looked at her disbelievingly.

"Really? How do you suggest we get the horcrux out of my head? We've ignored this problem for three years and now it is coming to bite us back in the butt." Harry pointed out. Hermione sighed.

"We'll figure out something. I will not let you sacrifice yourself for the greater good of the wizarding world. We tried Dumbledore's way before and we know it doesn't work. Now, we will do things the Harry Potter way." Hermione decided. Draco smiled.

"I'm in. I have found that the Harry Potter way usually gets us to the same place as the Dumbledore way, but with more style and a better conscience at the end." Draco joked. Harry and Hermione smirked. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand.

"Whatever way that is, we'll take it together. You're not alone in this, Harry." Hermione promised. Then, she went in and hugged him. Harry hugged back, trying not to let the tears fall from his eyes. When Hermione finally let go, Draco punched him in the shoulder.

"We're in this together, Harry." Draco agreed. He looked over his shoulder. "We should probably head to our dorms before Dragon comes back down and herds us up there." All three agreed. They walked out of the common room the way they did all things, arm-in-arm, together.


	45. Ferreting Out Trouble

Ferreting Out Trouble

Of all the things Harry could have done without, the fallout from the Goblet of Fire would have been on the top of the list. He hated the way people began treating him after he was chosen for the "Deathtrap Games". Maybe he should write a book on it and call it "The Hunger Games" or something. He thought for a moment. No, who would read a book about a bunch of kids basically dying in a gameshow like setting?

The worst so far this time was Ron's constant badgering. When was he going to learn that Harry did not want to be a Triwizard Champion? _Speak of the devil_ , Harry thought as he saw Ron coming to sit down next to him at breakfast. Harry looked down at his oatmeal and pretended he thought it was very interesting.

"You're really not going to tell me how you did it?" Ron pleaded. Harry rolled his eyes and ignored the redhead. Draco, who was beside Harry, took up the reins in the fight against stupidity.

"Weasel, when will you get it through your thick head that Harry did not put his name in the Goblet of Fire? He isn't dumb enough to put his name in for something so dangerous. Like he always says, he wasn't looking for trouble. Trouble always finds him." Draco paused for a moment. "Even if he _did_ put his name in the Goblet, why does it matter how? It's not like you can do the same. The champions have already been chosen."

"But _how_?" Ron pressed. Draco rolled his eyes.

"It's not even the right question, Weasel. Putting his name in the Goblet isn't the interesting thing. There are ways to do that, not that Harry sought those out. The real question is how he could have _confounded_ the Goblet to pick a fourth name. _That_ is the real mystery. The Goblet was programmed to pick three names-one from each school. The fact that Cedric and Harry both were picked means someone had to tamper with the Goblet for it to think there was a fourth school and that Harry was the only volunteer from that school. _That_ takes a mastermind. _That_ definitely could not be Harry." Draco lectured. Neville smirked. Harry looked affronted.

"Hey! Are you saying I'm not smart?" Harry inquired. Draco rolled his eyes.

"As a fourth year with no outside magical training?" Draco hissed. Harry caught on. Neville overheard this and became more interested. However, Harry turned back to Ron and continued the previous conversation.

"Oh, yeah. Ron, I've told you many times and I won't tell you again. I did not put my name in the Goblet of Fire. I did not ask someone _else_ to put my name in the Goblet of Fire. I do not want to be a part of these games. I actually kind of _like_ my life. I'm not going to throw it away for the miniscule chance of winning with my life intact. I'm sick and tired of everyone thinking I'm an attention seeking brat with a death wish. I'm not. I'm Harry, just Harry, the kid who wants to go to school, learn about magic, one day get married, and start a family. I do not now, nor have I ever, wanted attention or all eyes on me. It makes me uncomfortable and I think it's downright rude for people to act the way they do around me. Get it through your thick skull. I DIDN'T WANT THIS!" Harry yelled. It just so happened that at that exact moment, the entire Great Hall had fallen into a lull in conversation. Harry had yelled so loudly that it caught everyone's attention. Suddenly, all eyes were on Harry.

Harry turned bright red and sat down, hunching his shoulders and trying to look small. Draco huffed and stood up.

"Get back to your breakfasts. Nothing to see here." Draco commanded. Everyone was whispering quietly now, taking not-so-subtle glances over at the Gryffindor table. Hermione-who had spent the entire time with her nose in a book-got up and helped Harry to his feet. Draco and she maneuvered Harry out of the Great Hall and to a place where Harry could compose himself before class.

It only got worse from that day. By the end of the week, the buttons Draco had spent so much time on in the previous timeline made a comeback. Apparently, Zabini and Finnegan together had worked very hard on them so that they would actually offend Harry. Very quickly, Harry had gotten annoyed at the entire Slytherin house for wearing the stupid things.

"Was I that important to the timeline?" Draco asked for the umpteenth time. Neville perked his ears up at hearing this, as he was only slightly behind them in the hallway. Meanwhile, Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.

"For the last time, ferret, yes, yes you were _very_ important to the last timeline. We couldn't have done _any_ of it without you." Hermione drawled. Draco huffed.

 _Ferret, why did she call him ferret?_ Neville wondered as he watched the scene unfold.

"You don't have to get so touchy about it. It was just a question." Draco snapped. Harry rolled his eyes.

"You two fight like an old married couple." Harry teased his friends. They both looked affronted at the insinuation. Harry shook his head and smiled. At that point, Zabini and Finnegan walked away from the conversation they were having and slithered over to the trio and Dragon.

"Hey, Potter. I have a bet going on with my mum on how long you're going to last in the tournament. I said you wouldn't last ten minutes. She disagreed. She said you wouldn't last five." Zabini sneered. This statement made Draco irrationally mad. That had been _his_ bet with _his_ father. How could Zabini steal that from him? And how could anyone feel they had the right to harass Harry Potter in this way? Did they actually think they knew him? This made Draco take a step back. How could he have been such a prick last time?

"Why would Harry care what your whore of a mother has to say, Zabini?" Draco bit, clenching his hand around his wand. Zabini whipped his out.

"What did you call my mother, blood traitor?" Zabini hissed. Harry quickly brought out his wand and Finnegan followed. Hermione held her head in her hands. _Why?_ She wondered. _Why does this always seem to happen to us?_

"I called your mother what she is…a whore. Do you have a problem with that?" Draco replied. Zabini clenched his teeth.

"Take that back, blood traitor, or you'll be sorry." Zabini spit. Draco smirked.

"Or what? You'll curse me? In front of all these witnesses? I don't think so, Junior Death Eater." Draco retorted. "Take off those stupid buttons, or you'll be sorry."

"Never. Nothing in the school rules about wearing paraphernalia to support a fellow classmate." Finnegan butted in. Harry snorted.

"I'm pretty sure there is one when said button also bullies another classmate." Harry countered. Zabini smirked. He put away his wand and motioned for Finnegan to do the same.

"Come on, Seamus. We have better things to do than to stand here exchanging words with a bunch of worthless blood traitors and mudbloods. Let's go." Zabini suggested. He and Seamus turned around to leave.

Draco saw red. How dare Zabini call Hermione a mudblood? Draco could not even begin to think what he was doing, but the next thing he knew a curse was beginning to form on his lips. However, before the curse could be completed, he found the world getting bigger and bigger.

Harry and Hermione had to struggle to keep from laughing as they watched Professor "Moody" turn Draco into a ferret, again. They had to admit, it was mean of the Death Eater to turn a fellow Death Eater's son into a rodent. However, Draco also deserved it both times now that it had happened. He knew better than to curse someone with their back turned. Harry sighed as he now watched the ferret bouncing in the air. He could only imagine the kind of psychotherapy Draco would need one day to get over this traumatic experience.

Meanwhile, Neville watched the scene unfold, trying not to laugh himself. He thought Draco made a cute, bouncing ferret. _Wait! Ferret! Is that why they call him ferret?_ Neville wondered. _But why would they call him ferret before he even turned into a ferret? Did they know this was going to happen?_

"Professor Moody! What do you think you're doing?" Professor McGonagall gasped, pulling everyone out of the reverie. "Is that a student?" She inquired.

"He was going to curse a student that had their back turned." Moody argued. Professor McGonagall shook her head.

"We do not transfigure students as punishment." She scolded. Moody sighed and transformed the ferret back into Draco. Draco whimpered and scampered over to Harry and Hermione, trying to hide behind his friends. His friends took the initiative to get him away from Moody and moved to the Room of Requirement. Once they got inside, Draco collapsed onto a couch.

"Why? Why was that a fixed point? Why?" Draco whimpered. Dragon transformed into Sirius. The man was doubled over in laughter. Draco glared at the man.

"Oh, come on! He didn't hurt you. No harm, no foul. It _was_ pretty funny." Sirius defended as he fell into a recliner. Draco huffed.

"I'd like to see _you_ try it, Black!" Draco bit. Sirius shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I do it all the time, cousin." Sirius reminded the boy.

"By your own choice!" Draco argued. Hermione got in-between the two blonds.

"Draco, I'm sorry this happened to you. We're here to support you, not make fun of you." Hermione turned and glared at Sirius. "But you have to admit it, from where _we_ were standing, it was funny. That does not make what Moody did right, nor does it lessen the pain it caused you, but it's the truth. We will endeavor to try and understand how you feel and won't tease you about it, okay?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded.

"But was it really a necessary fixed point?" Draco inquired.

Outside of space and time, Fate and Time stood side-by-side, laughing hysterically. Fate turned to Time.

"Was that really a fixed point?" Fate queried. Time shook his head.

"No, but it's hilarious!" He responded as they both fell into another peal of laughter.


	46. Harry and Sirius Talk

A/N: So, in posting the First Trial, I accidentally forgot this chapter. Here it is now, and I hope it can be switched so that they're both in the correct order.

Harry and Sirius Talk

Once Harry got in bed, he was met by a very excited Dragon. The dog licked Harry all over the face and then the arms. Harry sighed and put up a silencing charm. The dog barked with amusement and then turned into Sirius.

Harry thought that Sirius would want to talk about the girls he had seen or maybe discuss who Harry wanted to take to the upcoming ball, but Harry was surprised by how his godfather started the conversation.

"Why?" Sirius asked, his face suddenly falling. Harry whipped his head back in shock.

"Why what?" He inquired.

"Why did you let this happen again?" Sirius questioned, seemingly lost. Harry sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better, Professor Snape argued much more fervently for my release from the games. I don't know why…" Harry started to wonder. Sirius quickly steered his godson away from that topic.

"It doesn't matter. Why would you be so willing to risk your life to not out Moody right here, right now?" Sirius suggested.

"Because I can't, Padfoot." Harry negated. Sirius shook his head.

"That answer's not good enough. Why?" Sirius continued to push. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Okay, say for a minute that I go to Dumbledore or Maxime or Karkaroff and tell them Moody is a dead Death Eater in disguise. What would be the first question they ask me?" Harry led. Sirius nodded in understanding.

"How do you know?" Sirius responded. Harry nodded.

"Exactly. How do I know? I can't very well tell them that I'm a time traveler. So, I would have to come up with some lie. However, any lie I come up with will not hold water when they investigate. Moody was careful. I can't just go up with accusations and weak excuses. I have to say I _saw_ him, either on the map or in person. Neither is advisable." Harry reminded his godfather.

"I could think of something for you that could bare the weight of proof." Sirius offered. Harry shook his head.

"Say for a moment we _do_ find a way and it gets me out of the tournament, I now have no clue what will happen next. Cedric could still die. In the position I'm in now, I know what will happen. I can stop death from attending the final task. Not only will I stop death, I will also raise enough money for the twins to open up their joke shop, which became invaluable in the future. The twins need the shop up and running by the end of the next coming summer." Harry argued. Sirius looked doubtful.

"You can find other ways to make this happen without putting yourself in danger." Sirius debated. Harry huffed.

"No, I can't. The dragon task made it obvious to everyone that I did not want to be in the competition. Fighting dragons is not my idea of a fun time, nor was it anyone else's. This started Rita Skeeter down her road to insanity that led to a later alliance. She started the rumors during the first task that 'Mione and I were secretly dating. That led to Hermione trying to disprove Skeeter, which led to her finding out Rita Skeeter was an unregistered animagus, which led to us having her under our thumb. This helped us get the truth out next year that Voldemort was really back." Harry explained. Sirius huffed.

"Well, then, can't you back out after the first event?" Sirius asked. Harry sighed.

"The next task is where something we would miss most would be taken from us. Truthfully, it was someone. Fleur's someone happened to be her sister. She had to drop out of the race when her bubble charm failed. This meant that her little sister would be left under the Black Lake after the time ran out. Remember how I said I took the song too seriously? Well, the song said we would not be getting our beloved thing back if we failed. I thought that the mermaids would kill the girl. So, I saved her. This led to an alliance between Fleur and me. We need that alliance later on." Harry explained. Sirius sighed.

"Okay, fine. Why do you need to complete the Third Task, though?" Sirius asked. Harry sighed.

"The final task was a maze that led to the cup. We each had to get through it to make it back to the arena. Once we were all in, we figured out that Krum had been _Imperioused_ to attack us. He _Crucioed_ Fleur and was about to kill her when I came along, knocked out Krum, and shot out flares for people to come find Fleur. After that, Cedric got caught in the Devil's Snare in the wall and almost died. I had to get him out. No matter what, the cup is still going to be a portkey that takes the person touching it to Voldemort." Harry continued. Sirius huffed once more.

"And why does that have to be you?" Sirius asked. Harry sighed once again.

"Because no one else will survive it. I know I do. As long as we stick to the original timeline as much as possible, we know that I come out okay. If Cedric doesn't go with me, I have less of an obstacle to take up time. Then, I can get back quicker and make it back to the arena in no time." Harry informed him.

"I guess. I just don't want to see you maimed or killed by some dragon, or mermaid, or dark lord. I can't lose you, Harry." Sirius groaned. Harry huffed. He could not tell Sirius about horcruxes, not yet.

"You know the prophecy, right Padfoot?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded. "Do you know it fully?" Sirius shook his head.

"The spy only heard part of the prophecy." Sirius muttered. Harry nodded.

"Well, Dumbledore heard all of it." Harry continued. Sirius seemed shocked at the idea, but then shrugged it off. Of course, Dumbledore would find some way to hear the whole prophecy concerning how the Dark Lord was to be defeated.

"I'm guessing he told you about it in the previous timeline." Sirius predicted. Harry nodded again.

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_ Harry recited. "I have to fight Riddle, Sirius. It's my destiny. If not now, then I'll have to do it some other time. I might as well continue on in the timeline the way I did before. It's my best shot at survival right now. One day will come when we have to change the timeline drastically. That day is soon. That day is the Third Task. Until then, we have to follow what we did before. I know it's rough, especially on you. I know you love me and want the best for me. This is the only way we can really truly defeat him, Padfoot. Are you with me?" Harry asked, his eyes going wide with the request he made. Yes, he was making puppy dog eyes at his godfather, but he knew he had to get Sirius to agree to helping them.

"I invented those eyes, and now you're using them against me?" Sirius inquired of his godson playfully. He grabbed Harry up in a bear hug. "I'm with you, Harry. I'll be with you until the end. I'm not going anywhere this time. There's no place I'd rather be than right here."


	47. The First Task

A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to get this next one out. My sister and I have both been busy. She is getting use to high school and I graduate college tomorrow (Yay!). We will be out of the country for the next two weeks on vacay, and hope to spend some time writing then (we need to, we'll run out of material sooner or later). Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the real reason for the season :).

The First Task

Harry got up on Tuesday to meet his doom. Well, not his doom. Rather, it was a humungous, spiked lizard with wings. That thought did not help him any. He was about to fight a Hungarian Horntail, again. Why did it have to be him?

"Why me?" Harry moaned as he got dressed and ready to go. Draco turned to him.

"I don't know why you are so nervous, Harry. You love Dragons." Draco teased, getting down on one knee and slinging his arm around Dragon's neck. Harry huffed, trying hard not to laugh at the adorable picture in front of him.

"For your information, I do not like lizards with wings. I don't mind dragons when they're blond and have good fashion sense." Harry replied. Before turning back to the task at hand, Harry added, "By the way, Dragon, you have some regrowth at your roots you might want to check. Don't want people getting suspicious of a blond dog turning black, do we?" Dragon whined. After checking to make sure they were alone, he turned back into Sirius.

"I am _not_ letting Hermione near my head with a pair of scissors again." Sirius stated plainly. Harry sighed.

"Well, at least let her dye it over Christmas break. How else do you plan on hiding from the professors and spectators. I do believe the Minister will be here, as well. Any minute, in fact…" Harry babbled on and on. Sirius got the hint and turned back into Dragon. "Good boy." Harry encouraged.

Draco and Harry walked down to breakfast and were met by Hermione. She was already preparing three plates of food and a fourth full of bacon. She placed the fourth down on the ground and Dragon scarfed it up quickly. Harry sat down on Hermione's left and Draco sat on her right. The boys looked down at their plates disdainfully.

"I'm not hungry, Mione." Harry groaned, pushing away the food from in front of him.

"Yeah, Mione, I'm not either." Draco added, repeating Harry's action.

"Harry James Potter and Draconis Lucius Malfoy, both of you are too thin. Harry, if you think I'm going to let you starve yourself when your family does such a good job over the summer then you don't know me at all. And Draco, you aren't even fighting a dragon today. Yes, he is your friend, but you and I both know how this will end. Do not fight me on this, boys. You already have one angry fire-breathing animal to fight, do not cause there to be another one." Hermione ranted as she began to eat her food. Draco and Harry exchanged a look and then began eating.

When they were finished, Harry ran off to tell Cedric that the task would be dragons. As before, Cedric thanked him and walked off, more enlightened than he had been before their shared moment.

The trio went to class as usual. They made it to History of Magic with time to spare. Therefore, while waiting for the professor to begin, Hermione went over some last minute details.

"And what charm will you use the moment you get out there?" Hermione asked him. Harry scowled.

" _Accio_. Is that better? Do you feel safer now?" Harry snapped. Hermione huffed.

"I'm reviewing. Have you thought of a quicker way to grab the egg without setting a dragon loose on Hogwarts?" Hermione inquired. Harry shrugged.

"I don't know. How would you grab an egg with a fire-breathing dragon protecting it?" Harry asked them. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Distract the dragon on one side of the arena, preferably with a patronus, and then swoop in directly to the egg, you moron." Draco muttered. Harry looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Harry asked Hermione. She shrugged.

"Because you two had Weasel holding you back. Say Hello to the new and improved third of the Golden Trio." Draco teased. Ron looked over at them.

"What? What are you talking about? Holding you back? New, improved third of the Golden Trio? Haven't the three of you _always_ been the Golden Trio?" Ron asked them. Draco sighed.

"Nobody asked you, Weasel-brain." Draco huffed. Ron rolled his eyes and went back to his textbook.

At that point, Professor Binns floated through the wall. He spelled the chalkboard to write as he spoke and began lecturing on the last goblin war. Harry turned to Draco.

"If we put a silencing charm on him, do you think he'd notice?" Harry whispered to his best friend. Draco snickered.

"No, but I think the students would." Draco replied. The two of them looked around the classroom. Most were sleeping or reading for other classes. "I take that back. I don't think they would ever notice."

They left for lunch and Hermione had to force feed Harry some soup and sandwiches. Draco had the soup, but adamantly refused a sandwich. He argued he was fasting and praying for his soon-to-be dearly departed friend. Hermione slapped him upside the head. Right as she did that, Severys popped out of Draco's sleeve.

" _:Hey! Don't do that to him! It makes for a bumpy ride.:_ " Severys complained. Harry began to laugh. Hermione looked at Severys and then at Harry.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked. This caused Harry to laugh harder. Draco shrugged.

"Whatever it was, apparently it was hysterical." Draco reasoned. Draco turned to his snake. "Were you a funny little snake? Were you, Severys? Who's a good little snake? Come on, who's a good little snake?"

Right then, Severus walked past Gryffindor table, ostensibly to show some school spirit, but also to check in on his godson and make sure he was prepared for the task at hand. He was slightly amused and greatly appalled to find his other godson baby-talking to his pet snake.

"Dr-Dragon, are you okay?" Severus asked Draco. Dragon barked. Severus scowled. "Not you. Other Dragon, the one who can talk. The one who is my godson." Dragon whined. "Not now, Black." Severus murmured through clenched teeth.

"I'm fine, Professor Snape. Why wouldn't I be?" Draco replied. Severus looked from snake to godson and back again.

"Never mind." Severus turned to his other godson. "Harry, how are you feeling today? Are you prepared for tonight?" Harry smirked.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine, thanks for asking. I am prepared. Mione, Draco, and I have been working on a plan that I think you will be quite happy with." Harry gloated slightly.

"Oh, and what is that?" Severus goaded. Harry shook his head.

"You'll have to wait and see." Harry teased. Severus rolled his eyes, but nodded and turned to walk away. Before he left, he began to pat Draco on the head.

"If you need to talk, I'm here, Dragon." Severus reminded the lad. Draco nodded.

"Okay, Unc…Professor Snape. I'll remember that." Draco promised. Severus left and Draco turned to his friends. "What was that about?"

Harry and Hermione shared a look. Did they tell him talking to Severys the way he did was a little weird? Well, to each his own…

"No idea." Harry said.

"Not a clue." Hermione added at the same time. Draco shrugged and continued on with his meal.

That evening, Harry walked down with the other champions to the tent. He said goodbye to Hermione and Draco and walked in.

Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric gave him a small smile, which Harry returned, feeling the muscles on his face working rather hard, as though they had forgotten how to do it.

"Harry, good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at him. "Come in, come in. Make yourself at home."

Bagman looked as usual. He explained the task and they went about assigning dragons. Of course, Harry got the Hungarian Horntail and was going fourth. Cedric went first and finished respectably, like he had before. Fleur went next, getting slightly more singed than she had before. Krum, of course, did excellently, showing lots of nerve.

Finally, it came time for Harry to go out. His legs seemed made of marshmallow when he stood up. He thought that it should have been easier this time around. His plan was even improved. However, he was still just as nervous as before.

He stepped out into the arena and raised his wand.

" _Accio_ Firebolt." Harry shouted. Once his broom arrived, he jumped on and made for the dragon. He lured her into a corner opposite the egg. " _Expecto Patronum_." He shouted three times in quick succession. There were three Prongs dancing around the dragon's head, distracting her. Harry quickly dived for the egg.

The crowd went wild as he got closer and closer to the golden egg. He picked it up without a problem. However, when he turned around, he noted that the patroni had disappeared and the dragon was headed straight for him. Harry quickly rose on his broom and made for the infirmary tent.

Harry made it into the tent right as the dragon breathed fire. Thankfully, the tent was just feet outside of the fire's range. Harry heard laughter, cheering, and some booing as well. Harry shrugged. He made it out alive and with the egg.

Points were awarded as they had been before. Even with the extra bit of wand work, Harry was not able to beat Krum entirely and make it out in first place alone. Of course, Harry didn't really care. This was a game of survival, not a game to be won. He didn't care about winning this death match. All he wanted was to make it through this year with all his fingers, toes, and appendages.

"Mr. Potter, a word?" Rita Skeeter asked. Harry snorted.

"Sure, leave. Five letters, one syllable." Harry muttered. Skeeter laughed.

"Oh, Harry. So funny, so funny!" She giggled. Harry rolled his eyes.

"What do you want, Skeeter?" Harry inquired. Rita tittered some more.

"I'm just over the moon with the wand work you did out there. I'm sure my readers will want to know: how did a fourteen-year-old learn such a difficult spell like the patronus?" Skeeter questioned.

"First of all, it's a charm. Second of all, nice to know you finally learned my age. Third of all, Remus Lupin taught it to me last year, due to the amount of dementors flying around the school. Now, if that is all, I'd like to go say hi to my worried friends." Harry growled. Rita clucked her tongue as Harry made off to find Hermione and Draco. She muttered under her breath about how she would make sure her story would make front page. She just had to make it a little juicier.


	48. The Yule Ball

A/N: Sorry, y'all, for not posting sooner. One of us graduated college and our family went to Spain to celebrate! :) We're both in the middle of writing novels, so things have been a bit tight time wise (and one of us is now looking for full-time work...). Hopefully, eventually we'll have time to get all this done (Maybe we need to pray for a snow day or two!)

The Yule Ball

Harry walked down to breakfast exhausted. He was super tired from getting up before seven every morning. He now wanted the tournament to be over with just so that he could get a decent night's sleep. _Why did I agree to be trained again?_ Harry wondered as he plopped down at the Gryffindor table. His pensive attitude was interrupted by Hermione plopping down her copy of _The Daily Prophet_.

"She did it again." Hermione stated as she plopped down next to Harry. Harry looked up at her.

"Who did what again?" Harry asked innocently. Hermione huffed.

"Skeeter, that horrid woman. She wrote her article on how you and I are dating and I'm cheating on you with Krum and all that nonsense." Hermione informed him. Harry shook his head.

"Why do you listen to that nonsense, Mione? You and I both know the truth. Whoever gave Skeeter that idea was just a worm looking for their five minutes of fame." Harry lectured. Draco, who was sitting across from them, hung his head in shame.

"Yeah, sorry about that last time." Draco muttered, just loud enough for the other two to hear it. Right then, Luna came over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hi Harry. I heard about your newest relationship. Should I be jealous?" Luna teased. Harry smiled and shook his head.

"It's not true, you know. Rita Skeeter made all of the article up. I don't think there's one truthful statement in that piece of garbage." Harry said, looking down at the offending article.

"No, there are some truthful statements. You _did_ learn how to perform a patronus third year with the help of Remus Lupin. You also _did_ defeat a Hungarian Horntail in five minutes flat. She didn't lie completely." Draco informed Harry, looking over the table at his friend. Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, but the rest is trash. I can't believe anyone believed it." Harry pointed out. At that point, the mail owls came flying in. Dozens of them flew to Hermione and dropped letters and packages on top of her food. One of them burst open oozing bubotuber pus all over her food and down onto her hands lying in her lap.

"Ah!" Hermione screeched as the pus began to form boils on her hands. Ron Weasley looked over at the offending letter.

"Hey! That's Mum's handwriting on the envelope." Ron announced to the whole Great Hall. Fred and George immediately jumped out of their seats and over to where the crowd of students gathered. Fred got out his dragon hide gloves he used in potions class and put them on. He picked up the envelope, turned it over, and took out the letter. He read it over and handed it to George. George sighed.

"Yep, that's dear old Mum for you." George murmured as Fred set aside the envelope and began wading through the other packages and letters, looking for traps, pranks, or other harmful substances. They found five with hexes on them and three with different forms of poison hidden inside.

When they reached the howlers, Fred took off his gloves. These he knew would not be hexed and he could trust them not to harm him or the young Gryffindor girl he was protecting. The howlers began going off one by one. One certainly got their attention.

"How could you? I thought you were my friend! I thought you were _his_ friend! He deserves so much better than you! He deserves someone more like me…someone who won't turn their back on him for some good looking Quidditch star. You should be ashamed of yourself, Hermione Granger." The voice yelled throughout the hall. Fred and George both knew that voice. They glared at their little sister who began to turn red in embarrassment. George turned back to Hermione.

"Here, Hermione, let's get you to the infirmary." George offered. Fred and George picked Hermione up by the arms and led her toward the hospital wing. Draco watched them leave, awed and slightly jealous.

"Since when did they get so helpful?" Draco muttered as he went back to his breakfast. Harry shrugged.

"They've always been that way, Drake. You're just on the right side of things now, so you see it. Besides, you only ask that because you're jealous." Harry added, slightly amused at his friend's composure. Draco sighed and rolled his eyes.

"So," Draco started, changing the subject, "who are you going to ask to the Yule Ball?" Harry turned to see Luna still sitting next to him, sorting through Hermione's mail carefully.

"I…I don't know yet." Harry lied. Draco smirked.

"Yes, you do." Draco countered. Harry blushed.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I do. I just don't know how to ask her yet." Harry admitted.

"I have perfect hearing, you know." Luna butted in. Harry blushed deeper. Harry got up.

"Um, I have to go see Dragon. Come on, Dragon." Harry commanded. Dragon looked up and followed Harry out. Ron watched them leave.

"That just makes no sense. Dragon was sitting right there. Why did he need to leave to go see him?" Ron asked Draco. Draco rolled his eyes.

"No one asked you, Weasel." Draco retorted, going back his meal.

Elsewhere in the castle, Sirius was now dealing with a petrified Harry. Harry paced back and forth, trying to breathe normally. He was failing miserably.

"What seems to be the matter, Prongslet?" Sirius asked his favorite godson. Okay, truthfully, his only godson. Harry turned to his godfather hopefully.

"I don't know how to ask Luna out." Harry confessed. Sirius' face brightened with understanding and he smiled.

"Ah, my favorite and best subject in school…girls. The question of how to ask a girl out has plagued the male race for millennia, Prongslet. Your father wasn't any better at this subject, I'm afraid. It really is very simple, Harry." Sirius explained. "First, you need to find out what she loves the most. Then, you need to get a bunch of those things together. After that, you need to charm it to spell out the words 'Will you go out with me?' on brilliant, pink, sparkly paper. It has to be pink, sparkly paper because that's what girls like the most…" Sirius began to drone on and on about the proper way to ask a girl out. Luna came into the room they were in and sat down, listening to Sirius' lecture. When there was a break in his rant, she turned to Harry.

"Or, you could just ask me." Luna suggested. Harry jumped when he heard her voice. He had never heard her walk in, nor had he seen her sit down next to him. He began to stutter.

"Well, I…um, Luna…I…" Harry continued on as he tried to find the words to say. Luna just smiled.

"Harry, of course, I'll go to the ball with you." Luna accepted. Harry stopped stuttering and blushed profusely. Luna laughed and kissed him on the cheek. Harry relaxed.

"Well done, grasshopper." Sirius teased. He turned thoughtful for a moment. "Just like your father, had to let the woman do it." Sirius dodged the textbook that came toward his head.

Hermione made it out of the infirmary the next day. While she was in there, she also got Madame Pomphrey to fix her teeth, so that she could have a beautiful smile for the ball. Draco didn't have the idea to tell her that her smile had been beautiful before she fixed her teeth, but that was because he had other things on his mind. He really did need to decide what he would do about his family situation.

In fact, Draco was so engrossed in thinking about what he should do concerning his family, that he forgot that he never actually asked Hermione to the ball. He just had assumed he would get around to it. However, the week before the ball, he realized he had not actually asked Hermione out. He went to Harry about his situation.

"Well, you're a bit too late now. She's already going with Krum." Harry pointed out. Draco sighed.

"I guess I should ask someone else to the ball, then." Draco decided. Harry shrugged.

"Since I'm going with Luna, no one is going with Parvati. You should ask her." Harry suggested. Draco considered this.

"I guess." Draco agreed, and then left to go find Parvati.

The night of the ball arrived. Harry waited patiently for Draco to finish primping in the mirror.

"What are you doing? You don't even like Parvati. Why get all dolled up for her?" Harry asked as he pet Dragon.

"You _always_ want to make a good impression, Scarhead." Draco explained as he finished gelling his hair. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Another lesson for the future lord?" Harry guessed. Draco nodded his head. When he was done, he pulled Harry off his bed and dragged the boy down the stairs. Dragon started to follow, but Harry stopped him. "Dragon, no. Stay. I know you want to look at the pretty girls, but you can't go to the ball with us. No pets allowed." Dragon whined. Harry rolled his eyes. "No, and that's final."

Draco and Harry ran down the stairs and made their way to the Great Hall. When they got there, they waited for their dates. Parvati came down and greeted Draco. Draco gave her a flower to put in her hair, which she added to the butterfly clip already placed there. Harry waited for Luna to come down.

When Luna did arrive, Harry's breath was taken away. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a knot on the back of her head. She wore flowers throughout her hair, all of which complimented the baby blue gown draped across her thin form. Harry thought she must have been cold, because he could not see what held the dress up. There were not even straps hanging from her shoulders. Her bodice was coated in diamonds and glitter, but it all tastefully came together in a dress that hung down to the floor.

"Luna, you look…beautiful." Harry breathed. She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. He gave her his flower-a white rose-which she also put in her hair.

Finally, Hermione arrived. She no longer looked like Hermione. Her hair was sleek and shiny and twisted up into an elegant knot on the back of her head, like Luna's was. She was wearing robes made of floaty, periwinkle blue material and she was holding herself differently, somehow. Maybe it was just the absence of the twenty or so books in her bag slung over her back. She was also smiling rather nervously.

"Hi Harry, Hi Luna." Hermione greeted as she waited for her date.

"Hi Hermione. You look beautiful as ever." Harry complimented. Draco looked at her in shock.

"Beautiful? I think she looks stunning. Krum is one lucky guy, Hermione." Draco admitted. Hermione smiled shyly at the blond.

"Thank you, Draco." Hermione said. Draco smirked.

They went along to the ball. Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Krum all made it out onto the dance floor. Harry felt a lot more confident this time around, dancing with Luna. This was the way he wanted it to always be, he thought. He wanted Luna in his arms, always.

The rest of the night went well. Harry, Luna, Draco, and Hermione all took turns dancing together, enjoying themselves. Draco danced with Hermione twice, in fact. She felt like a princess dancing with her prince, though she never wanted to admit it. She was beginning to fall for the blond man in front of her.

"Why didn't you ask me beforehand?" Hermione questioned her friend. "I would have said yes."

"I was so busy thinking about my father and mother. It's coming to the point where I need to make a decision, to either be with them and join the Dark Lord, or to be with you and Harry, denouncing my family. It's a hard decision to make. I was so wrapped up in that, I forgot to ask." Draco admitted. He sighed. "Truth be told, you should have figured out last time around that I was jealous."

"How could I have possibly known you were jealous last time? You were constantly calling me a mudblood." Hermione pointed out.

"That was me being jealous." Draco defended. Hermione shook her head in disbelief.

"Then, you were jealous all the time, back then." Hermione argued. Draco smirked.

"I really was, though. Fourth year just happened to be the worst of it." Draco relented. He thought for a moment. "Truth be told, I'm glad I didn't have to go with Parkinson this time around. I almost feel bad for Zabini. That wench is a handful." Hermione giggled and playfully hit Draco on the shoulder. They headed back to the champion's table, so that Draco could hand Hermione back to Krum.

When they got there, they were shocked to see Krum drop to the floor, gagging. Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Draco rushed over to the boy, concerned. Severus and Minerva also rushed to the boy. Severus noted he was showing symptoms of belladonna poisoning.

"Nobody move. Nobody imbibe or ingest anything! I believe he has been poisoned with belladonna." He grabbed a potion and poured it into Krum's tea and on his food. Krum's tea glowed green, confirming Severus' suspicions. He nodded to Poppy, who understood his meaning. She would have to give Krum the antidote. Once she stabilized the boy, they took him off to the infirmary to keep an eye on his improvement. "I think that was the only one, but let me make sure that no one tried to poison the other champions and their dates." Severus did not want to mention it, but he had the sneaking suspicion that the cup of poisoned tea was meant for Harry, not Krum. To his surprise, he was wrong. The only other cup with poison in it was not Harry's, but Luna's.

"Me? Someone wanted to poison me? Why?" Luna asked, turning to Harry. She looked concerned and scared. Harry wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't know, but we'll find out. I promise you." Harry assured her. She nodded into his shoulder. Unbeknownst to them, Ginny and Ron stood in the corner. Ron was grinning, while Ginny was scowling. It had worked for Ron, but not for Ginny. The only two to see the youngest Weasleys' reactions were two notorious pranksters.

It was even more curious the next day when both Ginny and Ron had to go to the hospital wing. Somehow, itching powder had made its way into both of their cups early in the morning. They itched everywhere. Investigations ensued, but no one could figure out how the itching powder had found its way into the cups of the two youngest Weasleys, nor why it happened in the same way as it had the night before, when a student had been poisoned. All they had to say was curiouser and curiouser.


	49. The Second Task

The Second Task

Harry awoke the day of the second task quite concerned. He had no idea who would be waiting for him at the bottom of the lake. He quite hoped it was not Luna. Not saying he did not love her the most, but he did not think she would do well being kidnapped and held at the bottom of the lake. She had already almost been poisoned, kidnapping just did not seem the best thing after that for the girl.

Harry considered that it might be Dragon. He would really miss his godfather, and he did not think it was out of the realm of possibility for Dumbledore to put his godfather in danger. However, Dumbledore was complicit in hiding a well-known fugitive and amplifying that point by placing said fugitive at the bottom of the lake only made matters worse. Dragon had to remain in the background undetected. He could not be the center of attention.

For some reason, Harry was certain they would still pick Hermione for Krum. This made no sense to him whatsoever, as Krum only met Hermione a few months ago and had only talked to the girl a handful of times. Did he not have a family member or two that he would miss more? Was Krum really that shallow? Maybe they just picked people they had readily available. However, how would they explain bringing Fleur's sister all the way from France for the task. Harry shook his head. He would not try to understand the logic of those who invented these stupid games. After all, they thought these death games were a good idea.

He got dressed and sighed in relief as he saw Dragon come prancing into the room. He got down to love on the dog when he noticed Dragon had something in his mouth. Dragon dropped the bag on the floor and barked happily. Harry quirked an eyebrow and picked up the bag. On it was a note. Harry's eyebrows went up in shock.

The note read,

 _Harry,_

 _Use this gillyweed for today's event. It should be enough to last you through the task and then some. Be careful to take it right when you need to start, not a minute before._

 _Professor Snape_

Okay, Harry could admit, he liked this Snape better. He pocketed the gillyweed and patted Dragon on the head. He was happy that he would not need to steal from the professor's stores to make it through this task.

"Professor Snape sent you to me, didn't he?" Harry asked Dragon. Dragon barked again. "He sure is different this time around. I wonder why that is." Dragon whined and turned back into Sirius.

"Well, for one, he knows now that you're not some spoiled brat." Sirius commented as Harry brushed his own unruly hair. Harry huffed.

"I never understood that. I guess, if he thought I lived with my grandparents, he was sure I had a good life. But why spoiled?" Harry questioned as he stared into the mirror. Sirius sighed.

"He always whined that James and I were spoiled brats." Sirius offered as explanation. Harry smirked.

"So, he really did expect me to be just like my father." The boy muttered. Sirius shrugged, gave Harry a hug, wished him good luck, and turned back into Dragon.

Harry and Dragon walked down to Black Lake. A crowd of people were already there, eagerly waiting for the task to begin. Harry saw Fleur, Krum, and Cedric all standing around nervous. Harry winked at Cedric and Cedric winked back. Cedric had returned the favor and warned Harry about the Second Task. Harry had already known about it, but could not tell Cedric that, so he had thanked the boy and the two of them had parted ways. Harry still snuck into the Prefect's Bathroom for a swim, mind you, but he did not need to listen to the egg again.

Harry was drawn out of his reverie by Bagman coming out to greet the contestants.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover the thing they would miss most. On the count of three, then. One, two, three!" Bagman counted.

The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air. The stand erupted with cheers and applause; without looking to see what other champions were doing, Harry pulled off his shoes and socks, pulled the handful of gillyweed out of his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, and waded out into the lake.

He was cold and wet. His robes filled with water, weighing him down. He remembered it being miserable last time, but this took it to new levels. He hated this task, he hated these games, and right now, he hated his life. Suddenly, the gillyweed took effect, and he now did not notice the cold water or the weighed down robes. All he noticed was that he could no longer breathe in the air. He dove into the water and the gillyweed naturally took over. He had never swum before, but the gillyweed helped him know how, at least for the moment.

Harry swam down further into the lake. He came across many mermaids and mermen, but no one seemed to see him. They all went about their business as if he were not there. Okay, he could deal with this. He actually liked the anonymity he gained being down here. No one wanted to talk to him because he was the great Harry Potter. No one stopped for his autograph or asked him how he did it. All he had to do was swim, get to the center of the lake, and retrieve his most beloved thing. He watched as Fleur desperately swam back up for air. He knew that meant he had to take back Gabrielle as well. He shrugged. It was not a big deal.

He came upon the four missing students fairly quickly. He was shocked to see Draco down there in place of Ron. Really? Draco was the thing he would miss most? He guessed that would make sense. Wow, things must have really changed if _Draco Malfoy_ was the thing _Harry Potter_ would miss _most_. Harry smiled as he took his knife and cut the ropes holding Draco down in the water. He then waited for the merpeople to become busy focusing on Krum and Cedric and went to cut Gabrielle out of her "cell". Once down, he grabbed both of his weights and swam for the shore.

However, a grindylow grabbed onto Harry's foot. It began to drag him down to the ground. Harry could not believe it. Not again! He was not dealing with grindylows again. Yet, the grindylow soon found himself with a friend and within seconds, Harry was covered in grindylows. He pushed Draco and Gabrielle to the top of the lake-which was only feet away. He trusted Draco to get the girl to safety once they were conscious. Harry started breaking the fingers of all the grindylows holding him down. _Thank you, Remus. I would never have known how to fight off grindylows if you had not taught us about dark magical creatures last year_ , he thought as he fought off the remaining two grindylows.

At that moment, the gillyweed ran its course. Harry was now drowning while fighting off the remaining two monsters attached to him. He quickly waved his wand and aimed a _bombarda_ at them. This blast them off and he was then able to swim to the safety of air.

Once he broke the surface of the water, he heard the timer go off. He had made it! This time, he had made it before time was up! He could not believe it. With everything he had done, last time he had failed to make it within the time limit. This time, he broke the surface before time ran out! He swam triumphantly towards the deck, where Draco, Hermione, and Luna all helped him out of the water.

"That was brilliant, Harry!" Luna congratulated. Harry smiled. Luna kissed his cheek and he blushed. Severus came over to his godson.

"I see you got my note." Severus stated. Harry smiled.

"Yes, I meant to thank you for that before the task started, but I didn't have time. Thanks. Dragon brought it to me earlier this morning." Harry explained. Severus smirked and nodded. He made to go check on Draco, but the blond waved him off.

"I'm fine, Uncle Sev." Draco promised, missing the fact he had called his professor "uncle". The dark man did not seem to mind, but did give the blond a look that reminded the boy of the older man's title.

At this point, Remus came bounding out of the stands and onto the platform.

"Harry! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened down there?" Remus questioned as he looked Harry up and down for cuts, bruises, and the like.

"Remus, I'm fine. I promise." Harry said as he blushed profusely. Yes, he loved having someone care for him. However, he did not like it when said someone made such a big deal in front of so many people.

Fleur came prancing over to Harry.

"You saved 'er. Even though she was not your 'ostage." Fleur simpered. Harry blushed some more.

"Yeah," Harry replied. Fleur bent down and kissed Harry twice on each cheek. Then, she turned to Draco.

"You, too. You 'elped." Fleur gushed. Draco smiled.

"That's what any gentleman would have done." Draco responded. Fleur swooped down on him, too, and kissed him.

Then, Bagman magically magnified his voice. All the crowd jumped and everyone went quiet. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Marcus had told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions. As follows…Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the bubblehead charm was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points. Cedric Diggory, who also used a bubblehead charm, was first to return with his hostage. Therefore, we award him forty-seven points. Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points. Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last. However, the merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own. We therefore award him fifty points." Bagman announced. The crowd cheered. Hermione kissed Harry on the cheek before going over and doing the same to Draco. Both boys blushed and laughed. All three hugged before walking off toward the tower. Harry hoped Dragon would be waiting for them. He was suddenly in the mood for hot chocolate.


	50. The Final Task

A/N: We are so, so sorry we have not posted more. One of us was working as a long-term sub, and another began working a lot more (plus had a play and was finishing 9th grade). I did try to post one day back in March, but apparently this was the one day was down. Therefore, we are posting all we have up through fifth year as a gift. Enjoy!

The Final Task

School went on as usual. Between finishing the second task, training with Professor Snape and Sirius, and school work, Harry had plenty on his plate. He did not need the added drama of finding Barty Crouch Sr. dead in the woods. Draco had gone with him to tell Dumbledore, and had stayed while Dumbledore went to meet with Mad-Eye and Fudge.

"So, he just left you here with his pensieve out? It just happened to be cued to the scene of Karkaroff's trial?" Draco queried as they walked over to the pensieve. Harry nodded.

"Your aunt's trial is in there, too." Harry added. Draco smirked.

"Oh, yes, Aunty Bella. I really do owe her one." Draco teased.

"One of what?" Harry asked. Draco rolled his eyes.

"A 'Favor'. She's the one who suggested to the Dark Lord that he use _me_ to get back at my father. She's basically the one who told my mum to offer me to the Dark Lord in service. I never agreed to be marked, she basically forced it down my throat." Draco said as he looked longingly at the bowl of memories standing before him. He sighed.

"You really shouldn't go in, Draco. I know you want to see her comeuppance, but that trial is over what she did to the Longbottoms. Had I known, I would not have gone in to view the memory. It's an invasion of Neville's privacy." Harry said chidingly. Draco nodded in understanding.

"I see your point." Draco confessed as he walked away from the pensieve and over to Dumbledore's desk. Harry followed.

At that time, the headmaster walked into his office once again. Fudge and Moody had already left. Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow at the boys and then looked over at the pensieve. How had two curious boys managed to resist the temptation of what lay behind those silvery waters?

"Harry, did you get a chance to view the memories in the pensieve?" Dumbledore asked. Harry shook his head.

"No, sir. I was not given permission. It would be an invasion of privacy for me to do so." Harry said patronizingly. Dumbledore looked surprised.

"Oh, but it's all okay. I want you to view the memories. Go ahead." Dumbledore tempted. Harry shook his head.

"No thank you, sir. Whatever is in there, I don't need to see it. After all, we both know it's rather pointless, is it not?" Harry asked. "I die either way. I fight _him_ whether I know this information or not. It's useless for me to waste my time learning everything I can if my only goal in life is to die at the right time."

"Harry, I still want you to know this. It is important…" Dumbledore argued. Harry stopped him.

"What's important, Headmaster, is that I make time for my friends and keep my grades up. Anything else can be run through my godfather. If he feels that it is important for me to know, he will tell me. Otherwise, keep it to yourself. I don't need the added pressure or weight of knowing something that no kid should know. Good night, sir." Harry finished and stomped off. Draco smirked, nodded his head to the headmaster in fake respect, and left as well.

"That was brilliant!" Draco said once they were headed toward Gryffindor tower. Harry blushed.

"I don't need to see it, anyway. I already know what's in it. I didn't want to see it again. I only had to come up with a reason why I shouldn't see it, and all my problems were solved."

"But won't he find it suspicious that you didn't want to know the information?" Draco asked as they walked through the portrait hole. Harry shrugged.

"Probably, but as long as he doesn't figure out we're time travelers, who cares? It's not like Dumbledore could really ruin all our plans. So, he's suspicious something's going on. Who cares? Unless he realizes that we've been through this before, he's not going to change his plans concerning me. With him sticking to his plans, we know what will happen and what his responses will be. It doesn't matter what I do, he'll still do the same thing because he still believes he has the upper hand."

Draco shrugged. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt to play it Slytherin. Being brash and Gryffindor like in this situation will not help you. It couldn't have been _that_ bad for you to watch the pensieved memories, could it have?" He began to get into his nightshirt.

Harry sighed. "It's all about the night the Longbottoms were tortured. It felt like an invasion of privacy back then and it still does now. I didn't need to know that the couple was _crucioed_ into insanity by Crouch and the LeStranges. All it did was give me a secret I didn't want to keep. This way, I can play ignorant with Dumbledore and don't have to feel as guilty when I look at Neville." He climbed into bed, stretching his arms as he did so.

"I see your point. As long as no one goes blabbing to him about idiotic time travelers and their pet dogs, I'll be more than fine with whatever you decide." Draco promised. Harry smiled.

"Awesome. Good night, Draconis."

"Good night, Scarhead."

Both of them fell asleep, not knowing that someone-or rather someones-had been privy to their entire conversation. Unbeknownst to them, Ronald Weasley was still awake, trying to figure out what Draco and Harry meant. What time travelers? What last time? Ron was beginning to sense that something was not right with Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, and he was darn sure he was going to figure it out.

At the same time, Neville had an epiphany. It all made sense now. He had overheard the one part he needed to finally understand the truth. He realized that Draco and Harry were time travelers. _That_ was how they _knew_ Black was innocent and had him around. Of course, Black was innocent, otherwise he would have killed Harry on sight. It was also interesting that Ron's rat suddenly disappeared right around the time "Black" started going crazy. But who was the rat? That didn't matter right now. What mattered was that he knew and now he needed to find a way to tell Draco and Harry that he knew. He only hoped that he could somehow help their crusade.

The day of the final task arrived. Harry was nervous about meeting up with Voldemort, sure, but he was more nervous about who would be waiting in the atrium for him. He figured that considering how little he saw of the Weasleys, they would not be there for him this time. Maybe-if he was lucky-Remus would be there to say hi. Maybe Professor Snape would wish him well. Maybe no one would be there at all. Harry noted how scared he was that the latter would be true. He had people now that he cared about and wanted in his life. What did that mean for him?

He quickly found out that _indeed_ there was someone waiting for him in the atrium when a flustered McGonagall walked up to him. "Mr. Potter, you are to come with me immediately. Your _family_ is here to see you before the task tonight."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at that, turning to face Draco and Hermione. Did the Dursleys come this time? It would explain why she looked flustered, he considered.

When he reached the atrium, he heard loud voices arguing with each other. Confused, he walked through the door to find a sight he never thought he would see, ever. Molly Weasley, Bill Weasley, Remus Lupin, Lucius Malfoy, and Narcissa Malfoy all stood among the other champions' parents, arguing profusely over who had more of a right to see Harry. Well, truthfully, it was only the Weasleys and Malfoys fighting over Harry. Remus was in the corner trying to make himself very small. He wanted nothing to do with this insane custody battle ensuing in front of him.

Remus spotted Harry walking in. He smiled and strode around the fighting couples over to the boy and hugged him.

"Hello, Harry! Are you ready for tonight?" Remus asked as he pulled out of the hug.

Harry smiled and nodded. He looked over at the fighting couples. "What's going on there?"

Remus sighed. "Apparently, the twins told Molly that the Dursleys would not be coming to support you tonight, so she put it upon herself to attend in their stead. Somehow, Lucius Malfoy also figured out you would be alone tonight and put it on _himself_ to attend in their stead. Neither of them considered the fact that _I_ definitely would be coming to support you in place of your aunt and uncle, and now all four of them are fighting over who has the better reason to be by your side as you face the final task."

Draco came bursting through the door at that moment.

"Harry! Stop! My parents are here!" He shouted at his friend. Everyone in the atrium turned their attention away from the fight and onto the blond. Even those who fought suddenly forgot their quarrel as they turned to see the boy panting and sweating.

"And that's something to be alarmed by?" Narcissa asked her son, pretending to be hurt by the insinuation. Harry turned to the shocked Draco and smiled.

"I have people." Harry preened. Draco shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Two of them are ready at any moment to kill you." He hissed under his breath.

Harry shook _his_ head. "I don't care. I have people!"

Draco smiled at his friend. "Okay, fine, you have people. What are you going to do now with your people?"

Professor McGonagall piped in. "All champions will get a chance to speak with their families, and then they will all head off to the stands and sit together." The professor looked over at the Malfoys and Weasleys. She mumbled, "Oh, _this_ will be fun!" Draco smirked.

Mrs. Weasley walked over to Harry. "Thought we'd come to watch you, Harry." She bent down to kiss him on the cheek. He blushed.

"You alright?" Bill asked. Harry shook Bill's hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."

"That's really nice of you." Harry muttered to Mrs. Weasley. "For a minute, I thought the Dursleys had come." He shuddered.

"Yes, awful thing, that. Being raised by muggles, and muggles who treat you poorly at that." Narcissa sniffed. Lucius smirked playfully.

"It seems any who doubted the ability of a fourteen-year-old in a competition like this will be eating their words, Mr. Potter. I have heard that you have done extraordinarily well in the competition. It is especially spectacular considering your breeding. Tell me, is it true you were able to produce a fully-formed patronus?" Lucius asked. Harry glared at the blond man.

"Yes, I taught him that. Curious how there were some on the board who questioned my teaching abilities after that year, right Lucius?" Remus asked, knowing full well that it had been Lucius who had begun to spread the rumors amongst the board that a werewolf was loose in the castle. Lucius glared at Remus.

"I just thought it was important for people to know their children were being taught by a dangerous, feral, half-breed. As a parent myself, _I_ was concerned with this discovery. To that, I add that I _know_ you were at least _once_ a danger to a student in my own day at Hogwarts…" Lucius said with a smile. Remus glared and scrunched his nose at the man.

"That wasn't my fault and how did you find out about that?" Remus asked. Lucius just smiled.

"You don't think I talk to my own son's godfather?" Lucius asked. Remus huffed.

"Severus." Remus hissed under his breath. "If you weren't my best friend's son's godfa…"

"Champions! You are needed for the task. Say goodbye to your family and make your way to the Quidditch field." Dumbledore announced.

The champions finished their goodbyes. Then, they walked out into the field and into the entrance to the maze. Harry sighed as he got into place. Since he had the most points, he was to go first. He took a deep breath, then ran into the maze.

The maze was built exactly as before. He thought maybe the riddle might be different, but the answer was the same as before. He stopped Krum, helped Fleur, and found Cedric. Here, now, was the moment he had been waiting four years for. _This_ was the moment he wanted to change first.

They both got to the cup at the same time. Cedric offered Harry the cup.

"Take it! If you hadn't helped me, I would never have made it before you." Cedric said. "Besides, at least Hogwarts will still have a champion." Harry gulped. He wanted so badly to see the smile on Cedric's face when he offered the cup to the Hufflepuff boy, but he knew he could not.

"I'm sorry, Cedric." Harry grabbed the cup. He felt a pull at his navel and he was automatically transported out of the maze and into a graveyard.

Harry felt his feet slam into the ground. His injured leg (yes, he had injured his leg once again) gave way and he fell forward. His hand let go of the Triwizard cup at last. He raised his head.

As he did so, he saw someone coming. Squinting tensely through the darkness, he watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward him between the graves. He knew in his mind it was Wormtail, but his heart would not let him believe it. He-for some reason-held out hope that it might be Dumbledore, or Professor Snape, or Dragon coming to congratulate him. But all the wishing was in vain.

At that point, Harry's scar exploded with pain. It was agony such as he had never felt in all his life. His wand slipped from his fingers as he put his hands over his face. His knees buckled. He was on the ground and he could see nothing at all.

The short man in the cloak had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging Harry toward the marble headstone. Harry saw the familiar name, Tom Riddle. The cloaked man was now conjuring tight chords around Harry, from neck to ankles, to the headstone. Harry could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood. He struggled and the man hit him.

"Wormtail," Harry said. Wormtail ignored him and finished conjuring the ropes. "Come on, if you're going to tie me up, you might as well acknowledge my existence."

"Brat." Wormtail spat as he put the black material from inside his cloak and stuffed it roughly into Harry's mouth. He then turned back to his master. He placed a cauldron on a conjured fire. The water in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface not only began to bubble, but also sent out fiery sparks as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Wormtail, who was tending the fire.

Harry heard a familiar high, cold voice. "Hurry!" The whole surface of the water was alight with sparks, now.

"It is ready, Master." Wormtail wheezed.

"Now!" said the cold voice.

Wormtail dropped Voldemort into the steaming cauldron. He began the ritual by adding bone from Tom Riddle Sr. into the cauldron. He then cut off his own hand, giving a shuddery cry as the hand dropped into the water depths of the potion. Finally, he turned to Harry.

"Blood of the enemy, forcefully taken, you will resurrect your foe." Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly, again. Wormtail cut open his left arm, and blood flowed down. The renegade rat collected the blood that dribbled down and poured it into the cauldron.

To give the potion credit, it worked perfectly now twice. Harry's blood did successfully resurrect his foe, as Voldemort stood and was robed by a weeping Wormtail. He then called his Death Eaters to him.

Harry had to admit, knowing he had seen Lucius earlier that day did slightly ease the fear that was rising up in him right then. These guys were not _that_ scary when it was the light of day and they were unmasked. However, these still were murderers and professional torturers surrounding him and laughing at him. Voldemort let him go and gave him his wand, demanding they duel. Harry shook his head and stepped back into the safety of the tombstone.

"No! I will not fight you!" He said defiantly. Voldemort growled.

"You will fight. Come now, Harry. My death eaters came for an evening's entertainment and we will give them that. Either you will fight me now, or I will kill you." Voldemort said. Harry shrugged.

"You'll kill me either way." Harry said with a snort. Voldemort smirked.

"Already giving up? I've heard that's not like you."

Harry snarled. "You want a fight? Fine, let's duel."

They began. Harry fought hard and tried his best to get his wand to connect to the Dark Lord's. If he could just get them to connect, he could kill the connection and make his escape. His chance came and he yelled out " _Expelliarmus_ " right as Voldemort yelled " _Avada Kedavra_ ". The two wands met once again. Harry saw his mother and father come out of Voldemort's wand. They agreed to help him escape and when he broke the connection, his parents attacked Voldemort.

Harry ran to the cup. He made it just in time and touched it. It immediately took him back to the arena, where he began to pant and gulp for air.

"He's back!" Harry cried. "Voldemort's back!" Everyone gasped. Cedric, who had just come out of the maze and was talking with his father, looked shocked.

"What?" Cedric asked. Harry turned to the Hufflepuff.

"It was a trap. The cup didn't take me back here. It took me to a graveyard. In the graveyard, Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew were there and they tied me to a gravestone. Peter Pettigrew resurrected the Dark Lord!" Harry told the crowd. Mad-Eye Moody came up to the boy.

"Come along, Harry. We should go. You seem distressed." Moody said. Harry shook his head fervently.

"No! I will not go with you! I'm staying right here with my friends." Harry said. The odd man shook his head.

"Harry, just come with me. You'll be alright." Moody urged. Harry shook his head again.

"No! I want to stay here." Harry argued. He knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he had to keep away from the man who was about to kill him.

At this point, Remus came out from the crowd. Harry ran to Remus and hugged the man. Remus returned the hug, stunned. Harry was weeping and sobbing.

"He's back. He's back." Harry repeated over and over. Moody walked over to Remus.

"Let me take him to the hospital wing, Lupin. He needs medical attention. He's clearly distressed." Moody said.

Remus shook his head. "No, Mad-Eye, I can do it." He grabbed Harry by the shoulder and began the trek to the hospital wing.

Within minutes, he was met by an out-of-breath Severus. Severus did a once-over on the boy before even greeting the werewolf.

"Is he alright?" Severus asked his compatriot. Remus nodded. He turned to see Harry resting uneasily on the infirmary bed. Dragon came up and jumped on the bed, resting his head on Harry's legs.

"He will be." Remus turned back to Severus. "I think you need to go check on Mad-Eye. Something was strange with the way he was acting. I think something's up with the man, but I can't place my finger on what." Severus nodded in understanding and ran off to find Dumbledore.

When they got to Mad-Eye's room, they noted that he seemed to be in distress. He was packing in a hurry and muttering to himself about displeasing his master. Severus conjured ropes and tied the man to a chair. Dumbledore waited just outside until he knew the Polyjuice Potion would run out and then came in, acting like he was furious.

"Barty Crouch, Jr.? You're supposed to be dead! So, it was you who killed your father and transformed the cup into a portkey. You should be ashamed of yourself! I will be calling the aurors immediately. They will be very surprised to see such a notorious death eater had been at large for so long." Dumbledore said. Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"Should we not find out what _actually_ happened before we go off and call the aurors?" Severus asked him. Dumbledore nodded.

"Of course, of course. I will interrogate the lad while you go and make yourself useful in the infirmary. I'm sure young Mr. Potter will need several bottles of calming drought before the night is through." Dumbledore suggested. Severus withheld his smirk. The headmaster had played right into his hands. He was now being ordered to his godson's side where he could care for him, undetected.

"Yes, headmaster." Severus agreed. He nearly pranced out of the room, a slight smile playing on the corners of his face. He would talk to his godson about this night soon, but for now, he had some potions to brew.

While Severus and Dumbledore were figuring out what all had happened that night, Harry awoke to find Dragon and Remus waiting for him in the infirmary. He smiled and sat up.

"Hi, cub! You feeling alright?" Remus asked him. Harry smirked and nodded. "Good, we were hoping you were okay. Not really able to tell after you passed out soon as you got in here. Severus was by earlier and he was very concerned for you." Remus admitted. Harry smiled.

"Professor Snape was worried about me? Why?" Harry asked. Remus looked pained.

"What happened tonight?" Remus asked, steering the conversation away from the topic of Snape.

"The cup was a portkey that took me straight to Wormtail and Voldemort. Pettigrew resurrected Voldemort and then we dueled. Our wands connected and I saw Mum and Dad pop out of his. They helped me escape." Harry explained. Remus smiled and Sirius barked. Sirius turned back into human form.

"How did you see your mum and dad?" Sirius asked. Harry smiled.

"They were ghosts, I think. Or they were from the _Priori Incantatum_ spell. I don't know which. All I know is that I saw them and they were there. They helped me and then they disappeared." Harry answered. Sirius smiled and turned back into Dragon.

At this moment, Severus came walking back into the infirmary.

"Good, you're awake." Severus said. Harry smiled.

"I am." Harry responded. Severus rolled his eyes.

"I am aware of the fact that you do not want to talk right now, but sometime before you leave for the summer, I want you to come down to my office and have a talk. I have heard what happened, so you don't have to go over it again with me, but I want to hear from you before you go, alright?" Severus inquired. Harry nodded. "Good, now, get some sleep. You still have a busy couple of weeks before school ends." At that, Severus left the infirmary.

"That was weird." Harry admitted. Remus nodded.

"Try not to think about it." He advised. He turned to Harry. "Good night, cub."

"Good night, Moony." Harry bade the man. The older man turned and walked out of the infirmary. It was now just Harry and Sirius. "Good night, Padfoot." Padfoot barked. Harry drifted off to sleep.


	51. Harry Watch

Harry Watch

Severus stood hidden in a tree, staring out onto the darkening streets of Privet Drive. If anyone asked, Dumbledore put him up to it. Yet, certain people knew the truth. Those certain people might drive him up a wall, but they still were the people who mattered.

As soon as he heard that Dumbledore was setting up a schedule to have people protect his godson, Severus knew he needed to find a way to sign up without people getting too suspicious. He had to play his cards right, because Dumbledore had been adamantly opposed to the idea at first. However, Sirius and he had worked it out so that the headmaster would see it their way. Severus remembered the conversation they had had just the other day.

Flashback

"Headmaster, you wanted to see me?" Severus greeted as he sat down in his chair.

"Yes, would you know why Sirius has insisted that _you_ take part in Harry Watch?" Professor Dumbledore asked, a curious look gracing his face. Severus held back a smirk. He had never outright said he wanted to be on Harry Watch. He and Black had agreed it would be too risky to out him as a triple spy (or was it quadruple spy at this point?). So, they instead created a plan that would for sure get Severus scheduled into the sentry team.

"To torture me?" Severus suggested, pretending to be outright annoyed. When Dumbledore had first told Severus that he would not be a part of Harry Watch, he had pretended to be overjoyed. Then, he went to Black. They had agreed that Sirius would pretend to think that Severus needed to protect Harry by being on the watch, because he would best know what to look for when it came to Death Eaters. Then, he would manipulate Dumbledore's own manipulation to make him do whatever he did not want to do.

"I think he actually thinks you are the strongest wizard here and that your abilities in subterfuge are a great asset in this particular task." Dumbledore argued. He smirked. "I'm beginning to agree with him."

End Flashback

Severus was the one smirking now. He had put up the necessary amount of fighting-Dumbledore truly believed he was torturing his spy. Meanwhile, nobody but Black, Lupin, and himself knew the truth. They had become slightly leery of Dumbledore since they found out that he knew about the switch in Secret Keepers, and their concerns grew this past year when the man would not lift a finger to even begin to fight against Crouch. They figured they needed a way to protect Harry outside of the purview of the headmaster, just to be on the safe side.

Severus shook his head. He was not supposed to be daydreaming. He was supposed to be paying attention to his godson's movements. He had spent the day watching his godson in the gardens. He was beginning to notice how much he cared for the boy when he noted how thirsty the boy seemed. Harry was so overworked, and Severus understood now why the child acted the way he did. Knowing what he knew now, he could no longer hate the boy, and acknowledging the fact that the child was Lily's made it much easier for him to like him. Severus smiled as he thought about his godson.

At this moment, Severus was drawn from his revelry at the sound of a yell. Someone needed help. A quick scan of the street showed what the problem was and brought terror to Severus' heart. There, he saw his godson, Harry, being attacked by two dementors, almost succeeding in giving him the kiss.

The dark man began to run toward the young child right as said child yelled out, "Expecto Patronum." The white, luminescent stag leapt through the air, galloping and charging the two dark shadows that tried to suck the light out of his life. Severus quickly sighed in relief when the dementors disappeared and the patronus stag stood next to Harry, who was winded, but conscious.

"Harry!" The man yelled out, coming to the boy's side. Harry looked up into the man's eyes, confused.

"Professor Snape?" Harry gawked in disbelief as Severus began helping him to stand up. "What are you doing here?"

"Protecting you, apparently." Severus half-teased. All Harry could do was nod. Severus took out a piece of chocolate he happened to be carrying.

"At least you do a better job them Dung," Harry mumbled. Severus heard what Harry said, but pretended to not have. _How did the boy know of Dung_? Severus wondered.

"Well, let's get you out of here, then," Severus said. Harry nodded. They walked back to Number Four, Severus levitating Harry's cousin behind him. As they knocked on the door, Severus turned to Harry. "Go upstairs and pack your things. We're leaving." Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"Did Dumbledore decide that?" Harry asked. Severus shook his head.

"No, I did," he said. Harry looked stunned.

"You have the authority to do that?" Severus started to look annoyed.

"Now is not the time nor the place. We will talk later," Severus said, turning his attention forward. At that moment, the door opened.

"You!" Aunt Petunia spat. Severus grinned an evil grin.

"Tuney."

"Don't call me that!" Aunt Petunia hissed. She looked both ways outside before ushering them both in. "Get inside before the neighbors see you!" Severus rolled his eyes as he entered, Harry coming in behind him. Severus sat Dudley down as Harry went to do as he was told.

"Get back here, Freak," Uncle Vernon said. Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"Is that any way to address my godson?" He asked. Harry stopped in his tracks.

"Your _what_?" Harry screeched.

"Harry, do as you're told."

Harry's eyes bugged out, but he quickly ran upstairs to get his things. Meanwhile, Severus took the time to investigate the claims his other godson had made. He checked the cupboard underneath the stairs and, sure enough, there was a torn-up cot and some broken army toys laying on the floor. A sign posted on the wall read "Harry's Room," showing the intelligence and creativity of the five-year-old who made it.

As Harry came down the stairs, he was met with an owl carrying a letter. He sighed, knowing what it said.

"What is that, Harry?" Severus asked. He held out his hand and Harry put the letter in it. Severus opened the letter and read it. He looked back at Harry. "This means nothing. It will not stand in any court. I am an eye witness, as is your cousin."

"I demand to know what in the world just happened!" Vernon yelled, his face turning a shade of purple previously unknown to man.

"Your son was just attacked by dementors…" Severus started. Petunia paled. "Oh, yes, Tuney. I see you still remember the stories I told your sister. Lucky for you, Harry, here, saved him. Although, how he did it is another matter entirely."

"What is going on? My question remains unanswered. What is a denementor?" Vernon bellowed. Petunia stepped in.

"A d-d-dementor is a d-d-dark f-f-figure in the w-wizarding w-world that s-s-s-sucks out s-souls." Petunia said, stuttering. Severus looked around the house once more.

"The headmaster left you with something precious. He trusted you to treat the child with loving kindness. You failed. You failed to love him. You failed to care for him. You failed to treat him with the respect he was due. Know this, if it were up to me, he would not be coming back," Severus said. He turned to Harry. "Come along, Harry. We have places to be and people to see."

They walked a-ways before finding a hidden alley to _apparate_ from. They soon appeared in front of Grimmauld Place. Severus handed Harry a piece of paper.

"Glad I swiped this off the headmaster's desk when I did. Always have a second plan, Harry. _Always_ ," Severus said. Harry just stared at the man.

" _Godfather_?" He gawked. Severus rolled his eyes.

"We'll talk once we're inside. I do not believe anyone else is here yet, which will be a good thing." He led Harry toward the door.

The door opened, and Harry heard the familiar shriek of Sirius' mother, Walburga, going on about blood traitors and mudbloods. Sirius ran into the room and shut the portrait up.

"Harry! You're here!" Sirius greeted happily, giving his godson a big bear hug. Harry grinned.

"I missed you too, Padfoot." Harry returned his godfather's hug, or he thought it was his godfather. He turned to Severus expectantly.

"Not now. We still await a third party," Severus told him, heading toward the floo.

"Why does there need to be a third party? Isn't this a discussion between you and me?" Harry asked.

"It's a discussion amongst your godfathers and overbearing mother," Sirius said, a sly grin forming at the sides of his mouth.

"I have more than one godfather?" Harry asked, shocked. Severus turned back before throwing the floo powder into the fire.

"No, the dog following you around Hogwarts is just for show," Severus drawled. He then called out "Lupin Cottage". Sirius glared.

"Hey!" He yelled. Severus shrugged. Moments later, Remus appeared through the floo, and after spotting Harry, rushed over to the boy and hugged him.

"Harry! You're here! What happened? No one was supposed to be here for weeks! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Remus asked as he began checking Harry over. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Lupin, he is fine. He's just confused," Severus explained.

"What is going on?" Harry asked, as if trying to prove Severus' point.

Sirius sighed. "Harry, it was made aware to us last year that your parents named two godfathers over you," he began, turning to face the dark man. "You were supposed to be living with Severus for the past fourteen years."

"What?" Harry yelped. It was not like this was a _bad_ thing, per se. He liked the man now. However, this was definitely a change to the timeline.

"It appears that Remus Lupin was supposed to be executor of your parents' will, instead of Dumbledore, as we originally thought," Severus explained. "For whatever reason, their will was never read. Dumbledore unfortunately had no right placing you anywhere, even with your aunt and uncle. In the will, it stated that Black and I were to raise you together in the event of Lily and James' deaths. Now that we know, we endeavor to carry out their last wishes."

"Well, not all of them. If that were the case, we'd be at Potter Manor right now," Sirius reminded Severus.

"Wait, back up. There's a Potter Manor?" Harry asked. "How was I never made aware of this?" _How badly did we screw up this timeline_? He wondered. _And why couldn't we have screwed it up sooner?_

"We don't know. We don't know why you were put with the Dursleys. We don't know why Dumbledore took control over the situation. We don't even know why I was left uninformed of my status as executor. All we know is that it happened and now we are trying to fix it. You will remain here for the remainder of the summer, I'm sure. I would rather fight an enraged hippogriff than try to take you away from Sirius and Severus," Remus said, his eyes twinkling. Sirius glared at Remus.

"I'd like to see you try," He said, scrunching his nose playfully. He brought his arm up around Harry. "I can't wait to show you your room. I have been getting it all ready." He took Harry upstairs and shut the door behind him.

"What the heck is going on?" Harry hissed at Sirius.

"I'm guessing this is different from the last timeline?" Sirius winced. Harry could be a force to be reckoned with when mad.

"Extremely!" Harry replied.

"What happened last time?"

"For one, Severus Snape was _not_ my godfather."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Isn't this better?" he asked.

"Yes, but that is beside the point. The point is, I don't know how much more of the timeline is changed now. Arabella Figg won't be there to defend me at my trial."

"Trial?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Yes, for using underaged magic. I used the patronus charm on dementors that were attacking me. Umbridge sent them. She tries to undermine any authority I may have on the subject of Voldemort. But never mind that. What else did we inadvertently change?" Harry asked, his arms held out in surrender.

At that moment, a familiar eagle owl swooped in and dropped a letter into the palm of Harry's hand. He looked down, stunned. He opened it, and automatically froze. In a neat, fine scrawl, two words jumped out at the boy. _Help me!_


	52. Saving Draco

Saving Draco

Harry rushed down the stairs and nearly tackled Severus.

"Draco's in trouble! We need to help him!" Harry said, handing Severus the note he just received. Severus frowned at the offending slip of paper.

"I'll call an order meeting." Severus went over to the floo.

Harry was near panick. Why hadn't Draco used the communicator? He shook his head and ran out of sight. He quickly called Hermione and Luna.

"Dragon in danger!" He called.

"What's wrong with Sirius?" Luna asked. Harry rolled his eyes.

" _Other_ dragon."

"We're on our way," Hermione told him.

"At Grimmauld. If anyone was wondering, by the way." Harry said sarcastically.

"At what?" Luna asked. Harry rolled his eyes again.

"Hermione _apparate_ to Luna's. She'll have a floo you can use."

Within minutes, Hermione and Luna arrived at Grimmauld Place, much to Severus and Remus surprise.

"Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, what in the world are you doing here?" Severus asked.

"How did you get past the Fidelius Charm?" Remus added. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Dumbledore…sent for us?" her voice rising near the end. Remus shrugged in acceptance. Severus, on the other hand, looked skeptically at the girl.

Very quickly, the house was filled with Order members.

"What is going on, Severus? Has something changed in Voldemort's circle?" Dumbledore asked as everyone sat down.

"No. It appears Draco Malfoy is in trouble," Severus said. Everyone stared at him.

"And?" Arthur Weasley responded. Molly swatted her husband's arm.

"Arthur! Obviously we were called to help the poor dear!" she chastised.

"Poor? Poor my…" Arthur shut up as he noticed the glare coming from his wife.

"Severus, while I do understand your concern, we cannot go for the boy. What is Draco Malfoy to us?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's my best friend," Harry said.

"He's my godson," Severus continued. Sirius stood up.

"He's my cousin." At this, everyone turned to stare at Sirius. "What? We weren't all doing it? I just wanted to be a part of something." Remus shook his head.

"It's really very simple. I will assemble a select few to accompany Lupin and me to the manor. Simple extraction," Severus explained.

"We won't go in wands a'blazing?" Sirius asked. Severus glared in response.

"Then why did we need an order meeting?" Tonks whispered loudly to Remus. Severus glared at his former student.

"Miss Tonks? Thank you for volunteering," Severus said, a sly smile escaping one corner of his mouth. Tonks blushed. Dumbledore seemed upset and unnerved. How did this meeting get so out of hand so quickly? "Alastor? Your skills would be appreciated as well. I can promise you that if anything gets out of hand you can be first in line to hex Malfoy Senior." Moody nodded in agreement.

"I'm coming," Harry said with conviction. Severus stared at him.

"Absolutely not." Remus and Sirius said in unison. Severus continued to stare.

"You will stay by me at all times."

Sirius jumped up. "You can't be serious."

"No, that is you," Severus teased, though no one else in the room got the good-naturedness out of it the way Harry, Remus, and Sirius did.

In the end, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmaline Vance, and Dedalus Diggle also came along. They flew their broomsticks to Malfoy Manor and jumped off next to where Severus knew the heir suite was located.

"Now, remember, Harry, you are to stick by me. No wondering off, and certainly no confronting anyone. If things go south, you must get out of here immediately," Severus instructed. Harry nodded. They quickly spelled the window open and began filing inside.

The room was dark. Harry tried to make out the blond but could not see in the lack of light.

" _Lumos_." Severus whispered, looking for Draco. When they did find the boy, he was on his bed, covered in blood and bruises. He was curled up in the fetal position and whimpering.

"Dragon," both Severus and Harry said together, rushing to his side. Harry moved over toward his head and started trying to wake him up.

"Come on, Dragon. You're safe. We're here to save you. I need you to wake up, friend."

Meanwhile, Severus looked around the room.

"Kingsley, Moody, Miss Tonks, I need you to find Draco's things. Do not spend too much time, though. If you cannot find it in a timely manner, then come back and we will consider them a lost cause." The three nodded and began to sneak out of the room to search for the boy's belongings.

At this point, Remus and Emmaline walked toward the boy. He was beginning to wake up, and he moaned as he saw who all was here. Harry stroked Draco's hair and continued to whisper.

"It'll be okay, Dragon."

"I know that, Scarhead," Draco mumbled irritatedly. Harry sighed.

"There's the ferret we all know and love." Harry continued stroking his hair. Draco scrunched his nose.

"Stop it, Potter!" Draco commanded, trying to move his hand to swat Harry's away. However, the pain from moving overtook him and he stopped. Harry smirked.

"You will just have to deal with the mothering from your god-brother for now," Harry said. Draco looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"I don't have a god-brother? When did I have a god-brother?" Draco turned to Severus, who was picking out different potions to give him. "Uncle Sev, is there something you're not telling me?" He muttered sleepily. Severus smirked.

"We'll talk later, Dragon. Take this." Severus handed a vile to the blond. He took it gratefully and downed it. He soon fell asleep.

At that time, Moody returned with the boy's trunk. In it were his wand, his books, and other school necessities. Tonks came back with an empty suitcase and began to stuff clothes in it. Shacklebolt came in at this time and shook his head.

"You're a witch, Tonks. You have magic. Use it sometime."

Tonks blushed deeply and took out her wand, charming all the clothes in the boy's closet to stuff themselves in the suitcase.

"Mum would have them folded as well," she mumbled as she finished. Shacklebolt shrugged.

Once Severus was assured that Draco was stable, he decided to move the boy and get them out of there.

"Harry, you, Draco, and I will arrive by portkey. The rest will take their brooms back to Grimmauld Place." He woke Draco enough that the boy could get the address into his mind, and then spelled the portkey to activate.

Within seconds, they were at Grimmauld. Hermione, Luna, and Sirius swarmed the incoming group. Sirius helped Severus carry Draco up the stairs and into Regulus' old room, now renovated to be livable.

The next morning, Draco awoke, feeling refreshed for the first time in a while. He could tell he did not hurt, and for that he was grateful. He opened his eyes and found Harry staring back at him.

"You're awake!" Harry jumped up, hugging him. Hermione, who was on the other side of the room, ran to the blond and grabbed him up in a hug. Luna came in as well. It quickly became a group hug.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling better? What happened?" Hermione asked, quickly moving over to get the boy a glass of water.

"It's been happening for a while. Lucius is just as bad as Vernon, maybe even worse."

"Why didn't you tell us? You know I understand what that's like. You went and told our godfather about it the moment you had suspicions that I was being abused. I would have done the same for you."

Draco looked at him curiously, eyebrow quirked.

" _Our_ godfather?" he asked, scanning the crowd. "Since when did that happen?" Right then, Sirius walked in.

"Since James and Lily decided I wasn't capable to be a godfather on my own." Sirius dropped down a breakfast tray.

"So, wait, Uncle Sev is Harry's godfather, too?"

"Yes, Dragon, does becoming a Gryffindor make you any less perceptive?" Severus teased as he came in. Draco looked back and forth between Severus and Sirius.

"You-You're in the same room? And you're not killing each other?" Draco asked. "What happened to all those stories of how much you hated Sirius Black?" Severus sighed.

"Harry is more important than a petty squabble."

All three time travelers gawked.

"Since _when_?" they asked. Severus and Sirius laughed.

"Since I found out Harry Potter wasn't living like the prince everyone told me he was." Severus replied. Harry shrugged. Who was he to complain about this new timeline? It was clearly better.

"So, what happens now?" Draco asked, digging into breakfast.

"Well, I won't be able to gain custody without betraying my position as a spy," Severus said sadly. "But we can discuss this later. For now, you should rest."

With that, Severus ushered Hermione, Luna, and Sirius outside. Harry looked at his best friend for another moment.

"Don't ever do that to me again, okay? I don't know what I'd do without my brother."

Draco smiled. "The same to you, Scarhead."

Harry shook his head and smiled himself. "Get some sleep, Ferret."

Harry got up, walking out and closing the door.


	53. The Trial

A/N: Any familiar content was taken from _The Order of the Phoenix_ , pp.119- 151

The Trial

The following day, Sirius got a note from Dumbledore. It told him that Harry's hearing would be on August the Twelfth. It said little more than to have Harry ready and waiting down at the ministry. When Sirius told Harry this, Harry just laughed and nodded.

"I'm coming along," Draco said after swallowing a bite.

"Are you sure, Dragon? I still don't think you're up to it," Harry said, concerned. Draco glared at his friend.

"I'm coming, and that's final."

Harry huffed. "Fine, you tell Severus that, then."

"I will."

"I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry, and I want you to wash your hair tonight, too. A good first impression can work wonders." Molly said, serving him another plate of food. Harry began to wonder when he picked up a new mum. He was beginning to not like it. Molly Weasley could be pushy and overbearing. She was very nice, sure, but he was still annoyed with her.

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked. Molly scrunched her forehead in concern.

"We, dear?"

"Draco's coming," he said matter-of-factly.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Dear, I don't think that's allowed."

"He's coming, unless Professor Snape says differently," Harry informed her. They looked over as Severus entered the room.

The man shrugged. "I don't mind. He is all but healed. It might do for him to get out and see something other than this dusty, old house."

Draco smiled.

"So, how are we getting there?" Harry repeated.

Molly sighed, her voice gruff. "Arthur's taking you to work with him."

"You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing," Mr. Weasley offered. He looked gently over to Draco. His mind had changed about the boy the moment they brought him into Grimmauld Place. He still could not believe Lucius would do that to his own heir, but knowing the boy was abused led him to think of the blond as a human being, not as a prat.

"I think I should come along," Sirius told them.

"Professor Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for you to go with Harry, and I must say I-" Molly started.

"-Think he's _quite right_." Sirius said with clenched teeth.

Harry stepped in.

"Padfoot, it's a good idea for you to stay here. You get to come with us to Hogwarts, anyway."

Sirius nodded in defeat.

"Okay, but you have to tell me all about it."

Harry smiled. "Of course."

The next morning, Harry and Draco woke up at half past five. Molly had laid both of their best muggle clothes on their beds. Draco just shook his head.

"I'm not wearing this."

Harry sighed. "We have to go through muggle London to get to the ministry."

"Fine, but for the record, I was not for this."

"Duly noted," Harry agreed.

They walked quietly down the stairs past Kreacher's ancestors into the kitchen. They had expected it to be empty, but it was not. When they reached the door, they heard the soft rumble of voices on the other side, and when they pushed it open, they saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Remus, Severus, and Tonks sitting there almost as if they were waiting for them. All were fully dressed except for Mrs. Weasley, who was in her dressing gown.

She leapt to her feet the moment they entered. "Breakfast?"

"Mo-mo-morning, Harry, Draco. Sleep alright?" Tonks asked.

Harry smirked.

"Better than you, apparently."

"I've been up all night, come and sit down."

Harry and Draco sat.

"Wotcher, cousin," Tonks greeted Draco. He looked up at her.

"Blood traitor," he said causually. He quickly put a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, reflex. Do I know you?"

"Why, yes, I'm your cousin, Dora Tonks." She paused. "Wait, how did you not know who I was, yet still call me a blood traitor?"

"I'm grumpy in the mornings. Anyone I come across is a blood traitor before eight in the morning." Draco looked around the house. "In fact, I think anyone in this house right now is a blood traitor, according to pureblood standards. That includes me." He turned excitedly to his friend. "Harry! I'm a blood traitor now!"

"Dragon, I don't think that is something you should be excited about."

Draco shook his head. He turned back to Tonks.

"Wait, how am I related to you? I only have one aunt, and she can't have children."

Tonks examined him closely. She began shaking her head.

"Narcissa never even mentioned her older sister?" Tonks muttered unbelievingly.

"Yes, Bellatrix LeStrange. Aunty Bella, if you please."

Tonks shook her head again.

"Not her oldest sister, her older sister. Andromeda Black? I guess, even though disowned, I assumed Narcissa would at least mention her," Tonks said, downcast.

"Why was your mother disowned?" Draco asked, confused.

"Does Tonks sound like a pureblood or halfblood name to you?"

Draco smirked.

"Nope, it does not. However, that doesn't matter to me. Nice to meet you, cousin." Draco stretched out his hand. She took it.

"Now, her proper name is Nymphadora," Sirius began. Tonks quickly swatted him away. Draco smirked.

"Nice to make your acquaintance, Nymphadora."

"Don't call me that. I already have to deal with Remus, Sirius, and Snape trying to call me that."

"All the more reason." Draco smiled.

They left soon after and continued on to muggle London. They walked down the street and made it to the subway station. Harry noted once again that Mr. Weasley held his wand in his pocket. Draco spent his time on the walk in awe of his surroundings. The subway both confused and fascinated him.

They made it to the Ministry of Magic. Harry and Draco squeezed into the phone booth and were taken with Arthur down to the atrium. They had their wands registered and they began to walk toward the auror office. They stopped in and said "hello" to Shacklebolt. Draco thanked him for coming with the rest to rescue him. Shacklebolt said to think nothing of it. He also handed Arthur _The Quibbler_ , telling him that a certain someone might like the article on Sirius Black.

They continued down and reached Arthur's office. Harry was trying his best not to mention the fact that the time and place of the hearing had been changed. He knew he should not know this information, but he would rather not deal with the anxiety of all that would occur because of the change.

Arthur was soon made aware of the changes for the hearing. He anxiously ran with Harry toward Courtroom Ten, where the trial was to take place. Draco took all this in while they ran about through the ministry. Harry Potter never seemed to have a normal life, by far. He was currently at the ministry trying to defend himself in front of the entire Wizengamot over a silly little patronus charm. Life was not fair to the boy.

They arrived at the courtroom.

"Go on," Mr. Weasley panted. "Get in there."

"Is Draco allowed to come with?"

"No, No. I'm afraid he's not. Good luck!"

Draco and Harry nodded. They understood each other. Draco would be waiting for Harry to come back.

Harry was taken aback once again at the size of the courtroom. It was more like a dungeon, but Harry did not have time to consider all this.

"You're late." A cold, male voice rang across the courtroom.

"Sorry," said Harry nervously. "I was not made aware of the time change."

"That is not the fault of the Wizengamot," said the voice. "An owl was sent to you this morning. Take your seat."

Harry had to wonder if it was not Dumbledore who had redirected the owl so that he would not make it in time. It would make him more dependent on Dumbledore's help, and Dumbledore would look like the hero.

"Very well," said the man, who he now recognized as Fudge. "The accused being present, finally, let us begin. Are you ready?"

"Yes sir," said an eager voice Harry knew. It was Percy.

"Disciplinary hearing of the Twelfth of August," said Fudge in a ringing voice. Percy began taking notes at once. "Into offenses committed under the decree for the reasonable restriction of underaged sorcery and the international statute of secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."

They began the court case. Dumbledore showed up as he did before. He argued that it was perfectly reasonable for Harry to use magic, as he was protecting himself and his muggle cousin, who already knew about magic. He brought in Arabella Figg, which still surprised him. She was not even there! How could Dumbledore justify this perjury? He understood why Severus could not testify-it would compromise his position with the Death Eaters and Tom. But lying to the Wizengamot? That seemed a little extreme.

The Wizengamot decided that Harry was not guilty and redacted his sentence. Instead, they agreed to start an inquiry into why Harry was attacked by dementors in a muggle neighborhood.

Harry left rejoicing. He told Draco all about how he got off. Draco congratulated him and they both laughed. They walked out chattering away, and Harry caught sight of something he knew would make his friend sick.

"Draco?" Lucius crooned softly. Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

"Malfoy?" Draco returned.

His father looked incensed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. However, I am here to support my friend."

Lucius sneered. "You are to return home immediately."

"You have no right to me."

"I do believe you are my heir, Draconis. I have every right…"

Draco shook his head.

"No, not anymore. I want nothing to do with the House of Malfoy. Disown me if you have to, but I will no longer belong to you." Draco began to walk away. Lucius turned red before going back to his aristocratically pale features.

"Your mother will be displeased to hear so."

Draco shook his head and sneered. "We both know that's not anywhere close to the truth."

Harry smirked.

"If you're here for anything, Malfoy, know that you will have to go back empty-handed. Draco is under the protection of the Potter and Black houses."

Lucius was caught off guard by that.

"What?"

"Just a thought," Harry answered cryptically. He took Draco and made for the atrium. Lucius grabbed Harry's arm.

"You will pay for this." He sneered.

Harry shook his arm away.

"I'd like to see you try."

They left and headed to the atrium. There, Remus and Tonks waited for them. They grabbed their wands and left, both feeling like a load had been taken away from them.


	54. Train Ride Year 5

The Train Ride Fifth Year

Harry soon found himself on the train back to Hogwarts. Draco had, in fact, been disowned after his display at the Ministry. His mother sent him one final letter, stating how disgusting she thought it was that he would rather befriend a blood traitor than continue on in the Malfoy name. Harry had given his friend space, but he knew the boy hurt because of what his mother said.

It was now a few days later, and Draco seemed a lot better. Harry smiled over at his friend and god-brother.

"What's got you so happy, Dragon?" Harry asked. Draco smirked. He turned to Hermione, who was reading a book on horcruxes, oblivious to the young man standing in front of her. He cleared his throat. Hermione looked up.

"Yes, Draco? Is there something you would like?" She asked. Draco smiled.

"Miss Granger, you are by far the most beautiful girl on this train. You are smart, you are courageous, and you are kind. I would be most blessed if you would consider going with me to our first Hogsmeade Weekend on a date."

Harry smirked and snorted in disbelief. At least it had not taken Draco six years to begin to make a move on Hermione. Harry looked happily at his friend, who was now smiling and blushing. He enjoyed the fact she had gotten her teeth fixed last year during the tournament. She smiled ever so beautifully now. He thought the two of them would make a great pair.

"I would love to, Draco. What should I wear on a date?"

Draco smirked. "Something nice."

Severys popped his head out of Draco's sleeve and slithered over to Hermione, waiting for her to shower affection on him. Hermione giggled. She looked at Harry when the snake hissed.

"He said that he's glad you said yes. He was getting tired of practicing with Draco himself." Harry translated, not looking up from his newly trace-free wand. Draco blushed and punched Harry. "Hey! Don't kill the messenger!"

Draco snorted.

"You are not the innocent in this." Harry smirked. "At least now you know how it's done, Potter. Better make a move soon."

"Maybe I will," he muttered, very interested in Dragon at the moment. Dragon panted and barked in agreement with Draco. Harry tilted his head. "Traitor."

He moved over to Luna and took the magazine out of her hand. She looked up.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Luna, would you do me the honor of going to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked simply. He paused. "With me, of course. I assumed you would be going to Hogsmeade."

Luna nodded and smiled. "Of course, Harry."

Harry gave her back the magazine and moved back over to Draco and Hermione.

"See, and I didn't need hours of practice."

Draco rolled his eyes, but blushed all the same.

"So, Draco, have you decided what you're doing for your living situation, now that you can't go back to Malfoy Manor?" Hermione asked.

Draco sighed.

"Well, I can't very well live with Uncle Sev, no matter how much I would love to. His position would be compromised the moment he knowingly took my side over my father's. He had to publicly disown me as a godson last week at a Death Eater meeting. It just would not be a good idea to put him in that kind of danger."

"You could always stay with me," Hermione offered.

Draco smirked.

"As much as I'd love that, the rest of the wizarding world is still old-fashioned. Even if we had rooms on different wings of the house, they would assume the worst of you. I could not do that to you. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Hermione blushed and giggled.

"You could always live with Sirius. He is your cousin, after all," Harry suggested. Draco shook his head.

"If he was found not guilty, definitely. However, he could not fight for custody until then. I overheard something about Aunt Andy suing for custody. I'll probably end up there."

Harry smiled.

"Well, have you _met_ your Aunt Andy yet?"

Draco glared. "She'll be better than your aunt."

Harry held up his hands in surrender.

"First of all, that is not hard to be, just saying. Second of all, no harm meant by that statement, Dragon."

Draco sighed and placed his hands over his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harry. This has just been really hard and I can't even really meet with Uncle Sev in public anymore. He has to be cruel to us all in class. He seemed pretty frustrated with how tied his hands are right now last time I saw him."

Harry smiled lopsidedly.

"I know, Dragon. He explained this all to me, too. He's both our godfather and he can't acknowledge that. He is frustrated. Sirius is frustrated, as well. Things will get better, though. Just think, this year we are going to lock your father away! It might free up Severus a little bit." Hermione swatted his arm. "Ow! Hey! I was just saying…"

"That we would lock up Lucius Malfoy, yes I heard. Harry, be a little more considerate. It still is Draco's father!"

Harry huffed.

"He disowned him publicly. I should know, I was there."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Neither of you is helping right now." Both looked over to him apologetically. "I'll get over it. I have my brother and best friend with me. We will all be fine."

"Have you at least heard from your aunt?" Hermione asked.

Draco smirked.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Draco pulled out a piece of parchment. He cleared his throat. "Would you like to hear it?"

Hermione giggled and nodded. Harry plucked it from his friend's hand.

"Allow me, good sir." Harry cleared his throat. "My dearest Draco," Harry stopped. "Hm, interesting, she hasn't even met you yet. How does she know you're her dearest?" Draco threw one of the carriage cushions at him. "Okay, okay. My dearest Draco, it reads.

"I know you may not know me. I have heard from Dora that you two have met, and I am deeply grateful to hear that your views do not echo your father and mother. I have heard of your plight from my dear daughter. I know how hard it is to be thrown out of your family. I have heard that you do not have a place to stay. If you would like, you are more than welcome to come stay with us, here. It is not much, but Ted and I both feel that a young man such as yourself should not be thrown out on the streets. I have heard rumors of you living with our cousin, who shall not be named for his own safety. If that is true, and you enjoy it there, I will not force you to leave. However, Ted and I have taken the necessary steps to gain custody of you so that the Department of Child Welfare does not come in and force you into an orphanage.

"I know this letter is not as lighthearted as a letter from an aunt should be. I wish we could have gotten to know each other before all this. Dora seems to think you're a fine young man. She also told me you are close friends with young Harry. I am so glad that you have found your own way and not taken the road your parents planned out for you. I am sure it was against their wishes for you to befriend the young boy, but Dora tells me great things about him and I know that he can help you, as well. Feel free to keep in touch. We are both thinking of you. Love, Aunt Andy." Harry smiled. "See, Dragon, you could always go and live with Andromeda. She seems to really care for you. At least, she's heard a lot about you."

Draco smirked.

"Can I have my letter back, please?"

Harry rolled his eyes and gave the letter back. Right then, the train stopped.

"Ready for another year?" Hermione asked Harry.

Harry shrugged.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He got up and motioned for Dragon to follow. They all disembarked from the train and headed off to another year at Hogwarts.


	55. Old Enemies and New Friends

Old Enemies and New Allies

The Golden Trio made their way to the Great Hall. It was just as beautiful as ever, even though a Pepto-Bismol toad sat in the front of the hall. Harry sighed. He guessed the view would have to stay the same for now. As they sat down, Neville came flouncing over to them. He sat down next to them and smiled.

"Hiya Harry, Hiya Draco!" He greeted happily.

Harry and Draco smiled. "Hiya Neville."

Neville took a deep breath in.

"There's something I want to talk to you two about, when we get up to our dorm. Is that okay? It's sort of private."

Harry and Draco furrowed their brows and gave each other a look. What could Neville possibly want to talk about? Was something going on at home? Did someone finally figure out the poor boy was abused, just as much as they were? They both shrugged and figured they would find out soon enough.

The Sorting Feast began and the Sorting Hat sang its brand new song for all to hear. The focus on unity seemed redundant and prevalent, but everyone cheered anyway. They all ate a wonderful meal, and then awaited Dumbledore's Beginning of Year speech. They were both shocked and annoyed to once again see it interrupted by Madame Dolores Umbridge.

"Hem, Hem. Thank you, Headmaster for those kind words of welcome." Umbridge simpered in her sickly saccharine voice. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say." Her smile resembled a shark's, Harry mused. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me. I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends."

Harry snorted and Draco scoffed.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down through the generations, lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be. For, without progress, there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progresses' sake must be discouraged for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between traditions and innovation…." Harry began to zone out again. He looked over at Luna and smiled as she made faces at the pink toad, trying to get the woman to lose her focus. He turned to Draco and saw the blond mockingly mouthing every word the new professor said. Hermione rolled her eyes and tried not to giggle.

Finally, Umbridge finished. Dumbledore thanked her.

"That wasn't nearly as illuminating the second time around," Hermione complained as they got up to go to the Gryffindor Tower.

Behind her, Ron muttered, "The second time around? What could that possibly mean?"

They all made it back to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione went to bed right away, but Draco and Ron found themselves in a fierce chess battle and no one wanted to interrupt them. Draco won, and Ron muttered about stupid ferrets and their over-competitive nature. Harry just shook his head and followed Draco and Neville upstairs. Dragon followed behind them.

Once they were all ready for bed, Neville motioned for Harry and Draco to head over to Harry's bed. They complied and began to close the drapes. Before that happened, Neville stopped them.

"You, too, Dragon," Neville commanded. Dragon whined and huffed, but got up from his spot near the fire and padded up to the bed. He jumped up and laid down next to Harry. "Can one of you put up a silencing charm?" Draco complied.

"So, Neville, what do you want to talk to us about?" Harry asked.

Neville took a deep breath in.

"I know."

Draco and Harry stared at him. Then, they shared a look.

"I should hope you know a lot of things, Longbottom." Draco said, nodding his head slightly. Neville shook his head.

"No, I know about _you_." Neville clarified.

Draco and Harry repeated their previous actions.

"You've known us for some time, Neville," Harry replied.

Draco nodded in agreement.

"Five years, in fact. We share a room. I've helped you find your toad. This isn't new information." Draco added, ticking off points with his fingers. Neville rolled his eyes.

"Fine, Black! You can come out now!" Neville sang. Dragon whined and stared at Harry.

"Black? What are you talking about?" Harry asked, slightly nervous. Neville rolled his eyes again.

"I'm talking about the fact that Sirius Black has been your pet dog for the past two years."

Draco cringed and turned to Harry.

"He's got you there."

Harry frowned. He nodded to Dragon, who changed into Sirius.

"HOW!? How did you know!? I was so careful," Sirius shrieked. Neville smiled.

"Not when you're yelling at portraits after curfew."

Sirius smirked.

"You'll have to be more specific. I spent the entire summer yelling at a portrait, but I highly doubt you were there. I think I would have seen you."

Neville sighed.

"Last year, right before Halloween. You came back late, and yelled at the Fat Lady. Something about only having to be a dog to get in?"

Sirius' eyes lightened in understanding. "Oh, right! The night I talked to Severus!"

Harry facepalmed. "So, you know our secret. We're hiding Sirius Black from the law. He's innocent, so you know."

Neville shrugged.

"I figured as much. He hasn't killed any of us in our sleep yet and he's had over two years to do so, so I think he's pretty safe."

Sirius stared at Neville.

"Yet? Yet? I haven't killed anyone yet? _That's_ the best you can say?"

Neville shrugged.

"I can't speak to actions you may or may not do in the future."

Sirius considered this and shrugged himself.

"Fine. You know about Dragon. Is there anything else you wanted to talk to us about? Because some of us need our beauty sleep," Draco snapped.

Harry sighed.

"Yes, because we all couldn't live with a Draco uglier than he already is." That statement earned Harry a pillow in the face, and a bark of a laugh from Sirius.

"Calm down, Cousin. He meant nothing by it. If it helps, I think you got most of your features from your mother, so you have our dashing good looks."

Draco moaned and fell backwards on the bed.

"Can we _please_ get back to the matter at hand? Is there anything else you want to talk to us about, Neville?"

"Was I so much like a squib last time around?"

Harry and Draco shared a look for a third time before turning back to Neville.

"Last time around? What are you _talking_ about? There's no last time around." Harry scoffed.

Draco facepalmed.

"Harry Potter, you better hope that you fight better than you lie, because you are terrible. Your emotions play right on your face…"

"Okay, now you're just stealing things from Uncle Sev." Harry complained. Neville looked confused.

"Uncle Sev? Anyway, I just wanted to know, do I get better? Is there something I finally am good at? Do I make my parents proud? Of any of us, you two would know…" Neville faded out, his features blurring with worry.

Draco sighed. "How in the world do you know?"

Neville shrugged.

"You two aren't very careful. Next time you want to keep a secret, don't talk about it in the middle of our dorm. Not all of us were asleep last year after Barty Crouch died." Neville confessed. "So, time travel. Interesting."

Draco held his head in his hands.

"At this rate, the entire school will know before next year!" He moaned.

Harry snorted. "Yeah, three people in three years. I'd say we're doing pretty well, if you ask me."

Draco scowled at the boy. "No, we weren't supposed to tell anyone unless it was absolutely necessary."

Harry sighed.

"Whatever. He knows. We can't stop it now. I'm sure he won't go blabbing to others about what happened here tonight. Besides, he doesn't know the whole story, right?" He turned to Neville.

"I won't tell, and I don't know if I know the whole story. All I know is I want to help, if there's something I can help with. Harry, you and I both lost our parents when we were young. I…I always felt sorry for you, because at least I could still see mine, you know. I know that somehow, our destinies must be tied together. I'm willing to do whatever I need to in order to help you succeed."

Harry smiled. Draco smirked.

"Your destinies are tied more than you know, Longbottom. Can I tell him? Please, can I tell him?" Harry had told Draco about the prophecy after he had explained about horcruxes. Draco had found the prophecy both interesting and depressing. He thought it strange that Neville and Harry had not been closer, considering what the circumstances of said fortune foretold.

"Tell me what?"

Harry sighed and nodded.

"There's a prophecy…It's why the Potters and your parents went into hiding. It foretold of a baby boy born at the end of July with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. The parents had to have defied him three times and he would have a power the Dark Lord didn't know about. The prophecy only could have applied to one of two babies-you or Harry. For some reason, Harry was more palatable to the Dark Lord than you were, and so he went after Harry."

"He went after me because I was a half-blood, like him. He thought it was some poetic justice or something."

Meanwhile, Sirius was deep in thought.

"You know, that might be why Severus hates you so much, Neville. I mean, if old Voldie had picked you over Harry, Lily would still be alive….and you blow up his cauldrons constantly. He hates that."

Harry cocked his head to one side.

"And you would know this how?" s

"He may have been ranting at Grimmauld Place to himself about stupid, dunderheaded students who blow up cauldrons, and one particular student may have come up quite frequently throughout said rant…not to put you under the bus, Neville."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"This timeline is _so_ surreal," he muttered as he went back to Neville. "So, do you have any questions for us?"

"A couple, but I think they can be saved for later. I think Draco may be falling asleep."

They all turned and looked at Draco, who was now half asleep on Harry's shoulder. Harry nudged him off and was met with a scowling Dragon.

"What do you want, blood traitors?" He growled. Then, his face lightened up. "I'm a blood traitor." He giggled and slumped back onto Harry's pillow. Sirius was smiling.

"I used to have that same reaction." He gushed as he picked Draco up and carried him to his bed. Draco snuggled deep into Sirius' chest and sighed in pleasure. Sirius smirked and rolled his eyes. "Such a spoiled little Dragon." He murmured as he ran his fingers through Draco's hair.

Harry scrunched his nose.

"So, are you guys just sharing godsons now?"

Neville looked questioningly at Harry.

"I'll tell you later." Harry promised. Neville nodded and moved over to his own bed. Sirius turned back into Dragon and curled up on Harry's bed. Harry smiled and fell asleep, dreaming of a bright new year.


	56. Detention with Umbridge

Detention with Umbridge

Harry stomped out of the classroom after his first DADA class of the year. Great, he had somehow got detention with Umbridge, again! Why could he not just control his anger? Hermione rushed out to meet him.

"Harry! Oh, Harry! You can't let her do this to you this time! What she does is awful! It's terrible! It's torture!" Hermione squealed in rage. Draco turned and faced Hermione.

"What did she do? I mean, I heard she gave lines last time." He said nonchalantly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course, she had them doing lines…with a blood quill."

Draco's eyes widened. "You can't let her do that to you, Harry. It's illegal!"

Harry nodded in understanding.

"I know, and it will lead to a lifetime sentence to Azkaban if we play our cards right, Dray." Harry explained.

Draco smirked. "Are you sure you aren't meant for Slytherin?"

Hermione hit him upside the head. "No, he's too much of a self-sacrificing Gryffindor. No self-preservation at all."

Draco laughed. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

Hermione smiled. "Promise you will tell one of your godfathers about it." She pleaded.

Harry smirked.

"Did you really think I'm a masochist? Of course, I'm going to tell my godfathers. They'll have their fun, I'm sure, and then when Sirius is free, he can go and press charges."

Hermione's smile broadened. "Brilliant!"

Draco laughed.

"Never thought I'd see the day Hermione Granger was left almost speechless." He turned to Harry. "Nor did I think I would see the day Potter thought before he leapt."

Harry sighed. "It had to happen at some point, Ferret."

"Yeah, but I thought it would take another lifetime or two."

Harry lunged playfully at his friend. Draco, for his part, darted back and forth. Soon, all of Hogwarts was privy to the wrestling match of the century. Harry, with his seeker-like reflexes, reigned supreme; though Draco gave him a run for his money.

That night, the gaiety of the afternoon was lost as Harry began his trek down to Umbridge's office. Hermione and Draco agreed to go with him, and then keep Dragon out of trouble for a while. Harry braced himself for a long night.

When they got to their destination, Hermione placed a hand on Harry's upper arm.

"Keep your head down. Do not encourage her. Do not fight with her. Let her win for now. Remember, she has what's coming to her."

Harry smiled. "Of course, 'Mione." He knocked on the door. Draco and Hermione stood behind him as the toad answered.

"Ahh, Mister Potter. How nice of you to arrive on time. Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, I do not believe I gave you detention. You are to go back to your common room now, before I give you each one for being out after curfew." Umbridge threatened. Draco turned red in anger.

"Curfew is not for another two hours, Madame Umbridge. Next time you threaten a student, you should make a more credible one. I can get my…" He stopped. He had been about to say he could get his father or godfather to overturn the ruling, but he just remembered he no longer had either, technically.

"Or you'll what, Mister Malfoy, or should I say Mister Black? Or isn't you aunt Andromeda Tonks taking pity on you? Wouldn't that make you Mister Tonks?" Draco huffed. "You have no sway anymore, young man. Maybe you should have thought of that before turning your back on such an illustrious house."

"At least he has character. He saw his parents were headed down a path he did not want to follow, and he had the courage to stand up to them." Hermione defended. Umbridge's eyes narrowed at her.

"Young lady, I do not appreciate the sentiment behind your words. Do not let me catch you over here again or you will be spending your time in detention with Mister Potter, understood?" Hermione bit her lip and nodded.

"Come on, 'Mione. Dragon needs to be walked, anyway." Draco lied. Hermione nodded and whispered a 'Good Luck' to Harry before turning away and leaving. Draco looked Harry in the eye, nodded, and did the same. Harry smiled a bit. He did have good friends.

He spent the next three hours writing _I will not tell lies_ over and over again using a blood quill. It stung. It hurt. Blood gushed down the paper and bled onto the table. He did not cry out. He did not draw attention to himself. He just sat and endured the torture Professor Umbridge dished out.

When it was over, Harry made for Gryffindor Tower. He was not sure how long it would take to scar, and he knew he needed evidence to press charges on Umbridge. He could live with another scar, but he knew his godfathers would both stop him from getting another detention with her. If it took more than one night, his plan would be doomed. He needed to keep both Sirius and Professor Snape from finding out about it until he knew they could not heal it.

This plan lasted for all of two seconds, however. The moment he came into the common room, Dragon ran up and licked him in greeting. He smelled the blood coming from Harry's hand and quickly licked in investigation. He barked and ran up toward the boys' dorms. He turned and motioned for Harry to follow him. Harry sighed.

Once they were plopped down on Harry's bed, Sirius changed into human form.

"Explain."

Harry cowed.

"Professor Umbridge had this quill. It didn't use ink. It scratched this into my hand."

"Did this happen last time?" Harry nodded. Sirius huffed. He grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak and threw it over him. He then grabbed Harry and positioned him in front of Sirius. Sirius marched both he and Harry through the corridors, unseen by all. When he got to his destination, he banged on the door.

Severus Snape opened his door to find no one there. He rolled his eyes, moved out of the door way, and motioned for the invisible pair to come in.

"Yes, Black?" Severus drawled. Sirius threw off the cloak, grabbed Harry's right hand, and forced it in front of Severus' eyes.

"Look what Umbridge did to my godson, the toad." Sirius growled once again. Severus quirked an eyebrow before examining Harry's hand. He grew deathly still.

"She's using a blood quill on students." He summarized calmly. Harry knew that calm. Severus Snape calm was as scary as Voldemort at his angriest. He liked to think of it as the calm before the storm. Sirius smirked, knowing he caught the dark man's attention.

"Not on just any student. She's using it on your own godson, Severus." Sirius hummed. Harry could see the fire ignite behind his Professor's eyes. He motioned for them to follow him.

"How long were you in detention for?" Severus asked. Harry sighed.

"Three hours." He replied. Severus grabbed a potion and some murtlap essence.

"And for how long were you using the quill?" Severus continued, uncorking the potion and putting it over the wound. It stung and Harry drew in a sharp breath.

"The entire time." Harry gritted out. Severus nodded.

"Say you could write twenty sentences a minute. That is three hundred and sixty times you cut yourself with a magical implement. That is a cursed quill meant to sign legally binding documents. I do not know if we will be able to get this to heal." Severus admitted as he poured murtlap essence on the wound. Harry nodded, containing his excitement.

"So, you mean, it's permanent?" Harry asked hopefully. Severus took out his wand. He muttered a healing spell. The wound turned red and the light surrounding it turned red, as well. Severus sighed.

"It will become a cursed scar, Harry. I'm sorry. Why didn't you come to us the minute something was wrong?" Severus asked the boy. Harry looked down uncomfortably.

"She said if I moved from my spot she would make it hurt a lot worse. She said she could get away with anything because she's the undersecretary to the minister. I-I think she was going to use the Cruciatus on me." Harry admitted. Severus sighed and held his head in his hands.

"Why does it always seem to happen to you?" Severus intoned, half-teasing, half-serious. Sirius smirked.

"Because _he's_ the 'Chosen One'." Sirius deadpanned. Severus smirked at that while Harry scrunched his nose in disgust.

"I _hate_ that nickname, by the way. Almost as much as I hate that stupid 'Boy-Who-Lived' crap. Why can't I just be Harry? Just Harry?" Harry inquired of his godfathers. Severus smiled.

"Well, just Harry, if that is the case, I do believe you are out after curfew and should be getting back to your dorm." He lifted up the cloak. Harry took it gratefully and hid himself under it. He looked expectantly at Sirius.

"I'll be up in a minute, Harry. Important godfather business to handle." Sirius joked. Harry smiled as he turned and walked out of the room. Sirius turned to Severus.

"What are we going to do?" Sirius asked Severus. Severus shook his head.

"We? I think it should be _you_ , Black. You were the prankster in school, not me." Severus argued. Sirius sighed.

"Just meet us tomorrow night in the abandoned charms classroom." Sirius ordered.

"Why?" Severus asked.

"You'll see." Sirius promised.

"Fine." Severus agreed. Sirius turned to leave.

"Severus, Harry's been having nightmares. Bad ones. They're always about what Voldemort is doing. I think he's having visions of the man." Sirius worried. Severus sighed and looked down for a moment.

"Harry may have a deeper connection to the Dark Lord than we care to admit. I will think on it, Black. We will discuss our plans for revenge tomorrow night, agreed?" Severus asked. Sirius nodded in agreement and turned back into Dragon. Severus walked over to the door, let him out, and closed it behind the dog. He sighed. Was anything ever normal for Harry Potter?


	57. Fun with Umbridge

Fun with Umbridge

It was the dark of night. Three students and a dog strode down the dungeon corridor under an invisibility cloak. They entered an abandoned classroom and silently shut the door behind them. A dark man stood waiting expectantly. Finally, he spoke.

"I know you're there." Severus acknowledged as he kept from smirking. Harry threw off the cloak and the others stretched. Sirius changed back into his human form.

Hermione sighed. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"Well, you know about the detentions with Umbridge." Sirius started. She nodded firmly. "I think it's about time we pay her back in full."

"And I am here because…?" Severus asked, his eyebrow quirked.

"Come on, Sev, you know you gave as good as you got in school. You prank as well as any Marauder I've ever seen." Sirius joked. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Just because I disagree with her use of a blood quill, you think I would suddenly be in league with you, Black?" Severus questioned, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Revenge makes strange bedfellows." Sirius replied, shrugging. Severus sighed.

"Okay, fine. I will help, but only because getting Umbridge out of here is the right thing to do." Severus conceded, smirking.

"Good, now, Harry, if you will…" Sirius motioned for Harry to bring out the piece of parchment. Severus stared at the blank parchment, and then looked at Sirius, confused. He recognized it as the parchment he took from Harry in third year. How did the boy get it back?

"What is this? You want me to sneak this parchment into Umbridge's office? You want to prank her by giving her a parchment whose sole purpose is to insult her?" Severus asked.

"Severus, you are about to join a long line of marauders. First, you must say the pledge…" Sirius started.

"I'm not saying any stupid pledge you think up, Black." Severus interrupted. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I am bringing you into a secret that us Marauders have known for quite some time." Sirius motioned to the parchment. "Harry, will you show our friend…?"

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry recited, pointing his wand at the paper. Suddenly, the Marauders Map came alive, showing the placement of every person in Hogwarts.

"What is this?" Severus repeated, suddenly becoming very angry. How long had this parchment existed? He pondered.

"It's a map of Hogwarts with commentary on everybody's position. It's something that James, Remus, and I came up with in fifth year." Sirius explained.

"Just HOW did a gang of teenagers manage to create this map?" Severus asked furiously. So, this was how they could prank him and get away so easily! Between this and the invisibility cloak, the marauders were unstoppable! He never had a chance!

"Easy. Remus is a genius, I don't like rules, James thought he could do anything, and Pettigrew brought the snacks and encouraged our combined insane genius.*" Sirius explained nonchalantly. Severus seethed. Harry, Draco, and Hermione all struggled to keep themselves from bursting with laughter.

Severus took a few deep breaths. He took a few more. He counted to ten. Then, he counted to twenty.

"I feel this should go without saying, but _why_?" Severus almost pleaded.

"Because we could." Sirius shrugged. Severus sighed.

"And it insulted me why?" Severus asked.

"Oh, that was a security measure." Sirius explained. He took his attention away from Severus and placed his sole focus on the map, looking for Umbridge. Severus rolled his eyes and looked at the map. He grudgingly admitted that the craftsmanship was exquisite. Though, he should have guessed as much with Lupin working on it.

"What was your plan with this map?" Severus asked,

"Then or now?"

"Both, if you have the time."

"Then, we used it for pranks, not getting lost, and staying out of trouble." Sirius shrugged and changed direction. "Now, we will know exactly where the toad is and can plan pranks accordingly." He rubbed his hands together maniacally.

"You really do look like a mad man right now." Severus commented, turning his own attention to where Sirius was currently looking.

"Got an image to keep up, you know." Sirius joked, never taking his eyes off the map.

"Are we going to get involved or just stand here looking pretty?" Draco asked.

"Stand there and look pretty." Sirius and Severus chorused together.

Draco huffed. Harry chuckled. "Well, I mean, it is in true Malfoy fashion." Harry giggled. Draco shot daggers at Harry.

"At least I know I would win any beauty contest against you." Draco shot back.

"In your dreams, Dragon." Harry discounted. Sirius looked up.

"Oh, you meant Draco." Sirius nodded, and looked back down at the map.

"You're both gorgeous. Now, let's get back to the common room before we get in trouble for being out after curfew." Hermione ordered, grabbing the two boys by the arm and throwing the cloak over the three of them. "We're leaving now." She announced to the two men now staring transfixed at the Marauder's Map. They waved her off and grunted. They had planning to do.

The next day, Dolores Umbridge found herself being followed by what appeared to be a small, black, stuffed dog. She could not even begin to imagine who could have possibly conjured it, nor how they trained it to follow solely her. When she asked Professor McGonagall about the dog, the Scottish woman just stood and stared at the ministry worker.

"What dog?" She asked, confused. Well, that was partially a lie. She was only half-confused. She figured that "Dragon" had begun taking his revenge on the ugly toad for whatever slight she managed to heap onto Harry this time.

"The black dog constantly following me around." Dolores shrieked. Professor McGonagall shook her head.

"Dolores, there is no dog following you around." She told the toad. Dolores looked exasperated.

"That is what Snape told me, as well." She informed the older woman. Professor McGonagall hid a smirk.

"I don't know what to tell you, Dolores." She lied. She would have to remember to give Dragon a nice bone the next time she saw him.

As the days continued, the pranks on Dolores Umbridge got progressively worse. One day, she went into her wardrobe to find all her clothes turned completely black. Not a single article of clothing was pink. She pouted and tried to get Minerva to fix them, but the Scottish woman categorically refused, telling the other woman that charms were not her strong suit and she could only help transfigure her black robes into a black scarf if need be. The next few days, students would "mistakenly" take Professor Umbridge for Professor Snape and ask her questions concerning potions. Professor Snape-in an uncharacteristically good mood-agreed to act like he was Umbridge and gave _real_ answers about questions concerning Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The next prank played on the toad-like professor was all on Professor Snape. He cooked up a potion that would give the nasty woman a bad case of Dragon Pox, mixed with constipation. He had to smirk when he began to see the woman scratch. Dragon smirked and knew that was his cue. He began to bark madly at the woman, chasing her toward the hospital wing. He only stopped when she slammed the door in his face.

The following day, Minerva McGonagall walked into her office to see an unexpected guest. She smiled and sat down.

"Mister Black, I did not expect to see you sitting in the same place you sat so many years ago. Up to your same tricks, I see?" The Transfiguration Professor teased as she poured some tea. Sirius accepted a cup gratefully.

"I assume by handing me this tea, you will not be calling in the aurors and having me arrested?" He quipped, taking a sip. Minerva smiled.

"Sirius Black, I knew it was you from the day Remus came around claiming you were back on the grounds. I figured that if you had truly wanted to hurt Harry, you had had ample opportunity and therefore, I should not assume what I knew about you was true. You have been here for two years and the only harm you have ever caused was to that horrible woman this current year." She stayed further comment. "Yes, I know it has been you pranking Professor Umbridge. I figured it was justified. Though, I must admit the last one has me stumped. I do not even begin to know how you perfected that one."

"Well, Minnie, I am willing to let you in on a little secret, if you can keep one." He told his previous professor. She smirked.

"Oh, I do love a good secret." She told her favorite student. Sirius smiled.

"This is one that would have to be kept even from Dumbledore." Sirius confided in her. She appeared confused at that one, but she nodded in understanding. Sirius motioned from behind him. "You can come out, now, Sev."

McGonagall was in for the surprise of her life when Severus Snape stepped out from under an invisibility cloak and sat down civilly next to Sirius Black. She was sure the world was about to come to an end.

"Minerva." Severus greeted courteously. Her eyes widened.

"C-c-Care to explain?" McGonagall stuttered. Severus smirked.

"With pleasure." He said as he placed a silencing ward over the office.

"Minnie, Dumbledore was never meant to decide Harry's custody." Sirius began. She quirked an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" She inquired. Severus nodded his head.

"We have learned over the past year or so that Remus Lupin was meant to be executor over the Potter Will." Severus informed her. Her eyes bugged out.

"Remus Lupin? Executor? But, but…" She stammered. Sirius nodded his head in understanding.

"That's what we said-too-after we found out Severus was included in the Potter Will." Sirius confided in his old Transfiguration professor. She struggled to keep herself calm.

"What did James and Lily want Severus to have?" Minerva queried. Severus smirked again.

"Harry." He answered simply. Silence filled the office.

"No, really." She replied. Sirius laughed.

"I know, it sounds strange. Can you believe they didn't trust me?" Sirius jested. Minerva gave him a knowing look. "I see, you do believe."

"I always did question their sanity there." She told the young lad. Sirius smirked.

"Severus and I are meant to raise Harry together. Currently, he's living with Petunia Evans, as you know. They're abusing him, Minnie." Sirius explained. Her eyes grew in shock.

"Why aren't you getting him out of there?" Minerva inquired. Severus snorted.

"How, Minerva? I cannot take him without being outed as a spy, and Black cannot take him without being taken back to Azkaban and kissed." Severus responded logically. She huffed.

"You could tell Dumbledore of your suspicions." She suggested. Sirius shook his head.

"Harry told Dumbledore. The man said he knew what was going on, but that Harry had to continue going back." Sirius informed her. Minerva sat back, her eyes wide. "That's why you can't tell Dumbledore. He'll figure out a way to take our Harry from us for good." Severus nodded in agreement.

"This is so surreal." Minerva muttered. Sirius nodded knowingly.

"If all works out, I should be freed by the end of the year. Until then, can you keep this a secret for us? Can you help us get Umbridge back?" Sirius asked. Minerva smiled.

"Of course, Sirius, Severus, you can count on me." Minerva promised. Severus gave her a cruel smile.

"Let us continue on with planning." He suggested. Dolores Umbridge would never know what hit her.

*Tumblr fralle-chan


	58. Hogsmeade Date

A Date in Hogsmeade

A small, tabby cat made its way to Gryffindor tower. She padded up the stairs of the male, fifth year dormitory and found her way into the room. She looked around and found her target-a snoring, blond dog. She playfully batted his nose until finally, he woke up with a snuff. He jumped and turned into notorious Sirius Black.

"Minerva?" He yelped. Harry stirred in his sleep and Black clapped a hand over his mouth. He got off the bed, tucked Harry in, and closed the curtains around the bed. He placed a silencing charm on each bed, and turned back to the cat. "Minerva, what are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

The cat ignored him and padded over to Draco's bed. She disappeared behind the .curtain for a few moments before returning with Severys the snake. Sirius quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

"What do you think you're doing, Minnie?" He asked playfully. She meowed and motioned for him to follow her. He turned back into Dragon and began trailing her. He followed her all the way down into the dungeons.

When they came to their destination, the cat squeezed through a crack in the wall and motioned for the dog to continue following her. Dragon huffed and wearily pawed at the crack. Suddenly, he thought of the fun he could have knowing how to squeeze into Severus Snape's living quarters and started prancing in.

Once they were in the dark man's rooms, Minerva McGonagall padded over to the bedroom and hopped onto the bed. She waited for Dragon and Severys to arrive in the bedroom. Severys at this point had climbed up Dragon's body and rested on his head. Dragon sat on the foot of the bed, staring at a sleeping Severus. _He seems so peaceful when he's resting_ , the animagus dog thought as he watched his counterpart begin to bat the man's rather large nose. Dragon sniggered.

Severus did not dream often, and when he did, it was usually bad. However, this most recent dream had been a magnificent one. It seems Lily had wanted to express how proud she was of both him and Black and was currently conversing with him while they sat on their childhood swing set.

"You're doing so well with him, Sev. I really think he's happy, and it's all because of you and Sirius. Please, protect him from Dumbledore and Voldemort." Lily pleaded. Severus smiled.

"I will, Lily." He promised as he moved to scratch his nose. It suddenly tickled. This was new. Immediately, Lily began to fade away. "Lily? Lily!" Severus began to cry out.

Back in the real world, Severus began to roll over in his bed. "Lily." He whispered again and again. Finally, he opened his eyes. They fell on a tabby cat that was sitting on his chest. He sat up, quite confused, and then spotted a blond dog with a snake on his head. He moaned.

"Black!" Severus roared. He squinted his eyes a bit. "Is that my godson's snake on your head?" Professor McGonagall jumped off the bed and transformed back into her human form.

"Severus, is that really what you want to discuss right now?" She inquired. Severus glared at her.

"That is the only proper thing I have to say at the moment. Everything else should not be said with a lady present." Severus confessed. Sirius turned back into his form, still holding Severys on his head.

"What lady? Do we have one around here?" Sirius asked. "Can I meet her?"

"Sirius Orion Black!" McGonagall screeched. Sirius paled a bit.

"Oh, right, _that_ lady. Yeah, I don't want to meet that lady." Sirius agreed. Severus glared at the other man.

"Black, what do you want?" Severus moaned. Sirius held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm not the leader here, Severus. I am a mere follower." Sirius admitted. Severus sighed.

"That never seemed to be the case before." Severus mumbled. "Although, I could be wrong about Lupin. Here I thought you were the one corrupting him."

"That is beside the point." McGonagall stated. Severus sighed and got out of bed.

"Minerva, what do you want at this ungodly hour in the morning?" Severus asked her as he moved to the kitchen and began making tea.

"For my plan to work, Sirius and Severys needed to be in place by six thirty and I did not think you would want to miss the show." She explained as she sat down on Severus' couch.

"I'm afraid to ask, but what show?" Severus inquired. Minerva smiled maniacally.

"You invited me into your crusade, did you not?" McGonagall asked. Severus sighed. Sirius grinned.

"Oh, Minnie, I've corrupted you, too." Sirius gloated. Minerva smirked.

"And what led you to be under the impression I was so pure in the first place?" Minerva asked.

"Oh, don't tell Remus that." Sirius cautioned. "He _still_ worships professors."

"In that case, you might not want to tell Miss Granger, either." Severus added in as he set the teapot on the coffee table.

"So, Minnie, what's the big plan?" Sirius asked as he poured himself some tea. Minerva only smiled.

"Just follow my lead. You'll wait and see. Just do as you did with Severus." McGonagall ordered. Severus hummed to himself.

"Hmm. This will be interesting." Severus admitted.

Umbridge awoke to find a small, fluffy tabby cat on her chest. She smiled and began to pet it lazily. She had the most amazing dream last night. She was Minister of Magic and she had just signed a bill into law killing off all werewolves and other half-breeds. It was glorious. She smiled and sat up, preparing to get out of bed and get dressed.

Suddenly, she looked down at the end of her bed to find the worst sight imaginable. The poor kitty and she were being watched by a terrifying, blond dog and a black, scaly snake. She did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. Loudly. She screamed, grabbed up the kitty-cat in her arms, and ran. The terrifying dog and murderous-looking snake followed her.

Uncle Sev had woken Harry and Draco up early by sending them a patronus. It had warned them that something terrifyingly amazing would be happening early that morning and that they should get up as soon as possible, get dressed, and head downstairs to breakfast. They discussed how they could possibly wake Hermione up without using the stairs to the girls' dorms, when they walked in on Hermione sitting by the fireplace in the common room, reading.

"Hermione, why are you up at six in the morning?" Draco inquired as he came to sit beside her.

"Were you always this early of a riser?" Harry added, sitting on her other side. Hermione looked up from her book.

"Yes, it was the only way I learned I could get any studying done with you two bozos around." Hermione confessed. Draco looked affronted.

"Hey!" He yelled indignantly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I meant you two bozos as in Harry and Ron." Hermione clarified. At this point, Neville walked in on the three of them.

"Harry and Ron were friends?" Neville yawned. Draco snickered.

"Yeah, best friends." Draco added. "Could you believe Harry would _ever_ refuse my hand and take the Weasel's?"

"Hey! We all make mistakes. I befriended Ron, you took the Dark Mark and tried to kill Dumbledore. We all made mistakes last time. It's best not to focus on the things we can't change." Harry suggested, blushing slightly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"No one forced you to befriend the little weasel, Harry." Draco reminded him.

"Hey, you could have run away." Harry argued.

"Yes, because it is so easy to run away from the Malfoy family and the Dark Lord Riddle." Draco defended.

"I do it all the time." Harry countered cheekily. Draco playfully punched him in the shoulder. Neville just shook his head.

"This is so surreal." Neville mumbled. Hermione just shook her head.

"You should have been here last time around, Nev. Then, it really _would_ be surreal." Hermione informed him. He shook his head.

"I'm not sure I'd want to." He admitted. Draco and Harry huffed. Then, they remembered the message they got from Severus.

"Hey! I just remembered. Uncle Sev said to be up and ready to see a show." Draco told them. Neville brightened.

"Hey, can I come with?" Neville asked shakily. The three time travelers looked at one another before shrugging.

"Sure, why not? We should stop by Ravenclaw tower to pick up Luna, too." Harry suggested.

Within minutes, all five of the teens were seated at the Gryffindor table waiting. Suddenly, they heard a blood-curdling shriek coming from just beyond the Great Hall doors. The shriek grew louder and louder until it burst through the heavy metal doors and entered the Great Hall.

Professor Umbridge came running into the Great Hall, carrying a cat, being chased by none other than Dragon and Severys. Harry snuck a peak at the Head Table and saw Severus Snape, struggling to control his laughter. Upon further inspection, Harry noted that the tabby cat in Umbridge's arms was in fact Professor McGonagall, a fact that he shared with his friends around him. At that, the entire Great Hall burst into loud peals of laughter as Harry, Draco, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Severus, and all the other students in the Great Hall noted who Umbridge was carrying.

At this moment, Dumbledore burst through the atrium door into the Great Hall, concern etched into his features. He saw Severus, bent over in laughter, and became even more concerned. He ran to Severus and tried to talk sense into the boy.

"Severus! What is going on here? What is wrong? Why is everyone laughing? Who was screaming? Is someone hurt?" Dumbledore asked in quick succession. This only made Severus laugh harder, making it impossible for him to answer. Dumbledore huffed and turned to face the Great Hall.

"Silence!" Dumbledore commanded. Everyone stopped laughing, except for Professor Snape, who was now on the floor gasping for air. Draco turned to Harry.

"Should we take Uncle Sev to the hospital wing?" Draco whispered to Harry.

"I think that would blow his cover." Harry replied. Draco shook his head.

"Not here. He _is_ our professor, after all. Besides, I think Uncle Sev would hate us for life if he died over this." Draco stated. Hermione turned to the two boys.

"You do realize that's an oxymoron." Hermione corrected.

"It's too early in the morning for a literary device, 'Mione." Draco mumbled. Hermione sighed and pointed at Draco.

"My date to Hogsmeade, everybody." Hermione introduced mockingly. Draco smiled.

"Yes, I am." He bragged. She shook her head and turned back to Professor Dumbledore.

"What is going on here?" Dumbledore shouted. Umbridge quickly primped her hair and straightened her nightclothes, realizing she was standing in front of the whole school in her dressing gown. She pointed to Dragon and Severys.

"That…that…rabid dog and its poisonous friend chased me and this poor kitty all throughout the castle!" Umbridge told Dumbledore. Dumbledore looked closely at the cat curled up tightly in the woman's arms.

"Minnie? Is that you?" Dumbledore inquired. The cat jumped from Umbridge's arms and landed on the floor, simultaneously turning into Professor McGonagall. Everyone began to laugh out loud again.

"Why, I never!" Minerva shuddered. Dragon barked and lolled his tongue to one side. Severys hissed playfully and then slithered over to Severus. Harry smirked and ran to grab the snake up.

" _:Harry, I think the Dark Man needs help. I do not know if he can breathe:_ " Severys hissed. Harry looked over to his professor, rolling on the floor, flapping his arms, and unable to catch his breath. This was unnerving. Draco came running over, and some Slytherins joined them.

"Professor?" Crabbe asked. "Are you okay? You…You're acting…I don't know, but it's not normal."

"He's acting human, thank you very much." Hermione defended as she came up to help them. "Professor Snape?"

Finally, Severus collected himself.

"I am fine, thank you Miss Granger." He got up and quickly took his seat back at the head table. Dragon yipped a bit and ran right over to Severus, licking his hand playfully. Severus began petting Dragon on the head. Harry just stared in shock. He turned to Hermione.

"Mione, this is getting…odd." Harry muttered. Hermione just smirked.

"It's okay, Harry. Isn't this better?" She asked. Harry looked over at the two of his godfathers.

"Than them fighting all the time? I don't know." Harry admitted. Draco slung an arm around Harry and another around Hermione.

"I'd say we changed the timeline, wouldn't you, Madame?" Draco asked Hermione playfully. Hermione blushed.

"Yes, we have. However, that might make it more dangerous. We still have…" Hermione started. Draco put his index finger over her mouth.

"Shh. Just for today, pretend that you can have fun, okay?" Draco teased. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I have lots of fun, Draco Malfoy…" Hermione screeched. Draco stood up straighter.

"While we're on the topic, I think that's something else I want to change." Draco stated plainly. Hermione looked at him strangely.

"But, we already have." Hermione pointed out. Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head. He turned to all the Great Hall.

"As of this moment, I formally renounce the name Malfoy. If you must refer to me, please use my preferred name Black." Draco announced to the school. Some clapped, some sneered, some looked indifferently on. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Okay, Draco Black, come along. We have a small town to get to and terrorize." Harry teased.

"Terrorize?" Hermione asked. Harry smiled cheekily.

"What else do you think Draco would do on a date?" Harry joshed. Draco grabbed his god-brother in a headlock and started rubbing his head relentlessly.

"Is there a brain in there somewhere?" Draco teased back. Harry laughed and counteracted the headlock, pulling out his wand and playfully standing in a dueling stance. Hermione and Luna looked at one another and sighed.

"Boys." They muttered in unison before pulling their respective dates off toward Hogsmeade.

Once in Hogsmeade, the two couples broke apart to begin their dates. They had all agreed that a date looking for Christmas presents was by far preferable over Madame Puddifoot's or The Three Broomsticks, and so all agreed to present hunting. The couple with the best presents for their families won, according to Draco and Harry. The girls just giggled and played along.

As they went their separate ways, Harry decided to be brave and hold Luna's hand. _Yes, so brave to hold a girl you've known for about seven years' hand. Such a Gryffindor, am_ I _._ Harry thought to himself. As they walked Luna asked him how his schoolwork was going and if he was excited or nervous about his O.W.L.'s. He shrugged both questions off saying he had never gotten a better grade before in his life. He also mentioned that he would probably get all O's this time around with a little effort. Luna laughed.

"Weren't you supposed to put in a little effort _last_ time?" Luna asked him mockingly.

"Well that was the problem, I only put in a _little_ effort. Now with a little _more_ effort I should do outstanding in all my classes. I also really wanted to ask Neville to help me with the homework for this week. I know 'Mione could help, but Neville might do a little better explaining things. Plus, he's been a having a real hard time lately. I did tell you he found out, right?" Harry inquired. Luna nodded. "Well, I've been telling him about last time around and I got to a part about this year. I've told you there's going to be a prison break, I'm sure. Anyway, I remember him taking Bellatrix LeStrange's escape hard last time, but this time I feel as if he took it even harder. I think he thinks I should stop it, but he understands why I can't. I know what it's like for the person who hurt your parents to be out and about, not being punished for what they've done. I get what he's going through. I just wish I could do more to help him." Harry explained. Luna smiled, put her arm around Harry's waist, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I think you're doing a marvelous job helping him by being his friend. He came up to me the other day. I guess you had just told him I knew about everything. We talked about how strange it is. It's nice to have a friend who hasn't already done this all before." Luna confessed. Harry smiled.

"I'm glad you two are friends again." Harry acknowledged.

Meanwhile, Draco and Hermione went in and out of what seemed like every shop looking for something for Draco's Uncle Sev. Hermione smiled and laughed when she saw how competitive Draco could get.

"So, is this why you never gave up on being a seeker last time? You couldn't handle someone else beating you?" Hermione queried. Draco winced slightly at her choice of words but then smirked at his date.

"If you must know Miss Granger, yes and no. Yes, I have never liked someone else winning, but also my father forced me to be seeker so I could 1-carry on a Malfoy legacy, and 2- beat the Great Harry Potter and show everyone what a fake he is. I only half accomplished that last one." Draco explained. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled.

"So, why is it taking you so long to find something for Professor Snape?" Hermione inquired.

"Well, ever since Harry had to go and find the greatest present imaginable third year, it has been slightly more than impossible to one up him. Something I used to be brilliant at, by the way. Anyhow, Uncle Sev was impossible to shop for before that, now a 'Best Godfather Ever' mug just won't do the trick. I do have to stay at the place of favorite godson, you know. Although, being the son of the love of his life seems pretty hard to beat." Draco expressed sullenly. Hermione laughed.

"Yes, that does seem hard. Well, let's get out of the box, yeah? So, not potions. Not anything funny, because I doubt he'd appreciate that, even after this morning's display… Oh! I know! But first we have to go find Colin Creevey…." Hermione told him.

"What does the president of The Harry Potter fan club have that we need?" Draco wondered.

Hermione just smiled and dragged him off to find the fourth year. By the end of the trip both Draco and Harry had the perfect gifts, not only for each other, but for their shared godfather as well. Harry also had amazing gifts for Sirius, Luna, Hermione, a small gift for the twins (who were not only worshipping Remus and Sirius, after they had found out about Moony and Padfoot, but also Harry, because of the triwizard tournament earnings Harry had given them) and a small appreciative gift for Professor McGonagall (who he had found out was the creator of the plan to terrify Umbridge). When they all met up at The Three Broomsticks for dinner, Hermione and Luna, who had also found their gifts, were adamantly talking about their gifts for the boys.

After they ate dinner, they walked back to the castle, arm-in-arm. Yes, life could be good.


	59. Snake Attack

Snake Attack

Draco awoke in the middle of the night when he heard a blood curdling scream arise from somewhere inside the dorm room. He leapt out of bed, cast a _lumos_ charm over the room and quickly searched for the source of the scream. He could not seem to figure out what was going on, in his sleep-addled mind, but the screaming had not stopped and he began to worry that someone was in danger.

Draco only figured out where the scream was coming from when he began to hear a barking coming from Harry's bed. He rushed over and pulled apart the curtains to find Harry screaming and writhing like he was in pain. Draco quickly grabbed a hold of one of Harry's arms and began shaking him, trying to wake him up.

"Harry! Harry! Wake up. It's just a nightmare." Draco explained as he tried several methods of shaking Harry awake. Dragon continued to bark incessantly.

At this point, Neville and Dean had woken up, as well. They both jumped to their feet and ran to the end of Harry's bed. Ron just scrunched his nose and kept on snoring. Neville, in all that was going on, was amazed at the fact Ron had not woken up, as well.

"Harry! Harry!" Draco now screamed, trying desperately to wake his god-brother up. He sighed and turned to Neville.

"Neville, go get Uncle Sev. Tell him Harry needs him." The blond ordered. Neville looked at him confused.

"Uncle Sev?" He questioned. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Snape, Professor Snape." Draco clarified. Neville's eyes grew wide.

"But…but shouldn't we get Professor McGonagall? She's his head of house and Snape, well Snape is…" Neville stuttered. Draco sighed again.

"What? Scary? Just go get him!" Draco repeated.

"But…" Neville started.

"Now!" Draco commanded harshly. Neville nodded and ran off toward the Gryffindor Common room.

He ran faster than he ever thought he could. He quickly reached the dungeons. When he arrived, he hesitated. Was he really going to knock on Professor Snape's door in the middle of the night? He sighed. He guessed he was, as Harry needed him, for whatever reason. He knocked on the door twice and quickly dropped his hand.

He waited several minutes and was about to knock again when the door opened and produced a scowling Snape. Neville stared at the man for several moments.

"Yes?" Professor Snape drawled. Neville gulped.

"Sir…You, you need to come with me. It's Harry. He's….I don't know what he is. But Draco said he needs you. I don't know why. Just, something's wrong with Harry." Neville stuttered out. Professor Snape's eyes widened minutely and he quickly grabbed his cape from beside the door.

On the way up to Gryffindor Tower, Neville looked down at the ground to watch to make sure he did not trip over anything. As he did so, he caught sight of the most interesting thing he ever thought imaginable. Who would have guessed Professor Snape wore bunny slippers? However, he kept any questions to himself. He did not want detention.

When they arrived at Gryffindor Tower, Neville directed Professor Snape towards the fifth year boys' dorm. Severus looked around the common room.

"So much red. It's sickening." Severus mentioned. He was about to say more when he heard a gut wrenching scream come from behind the fifth-year boys' door. His eyes widened and he yanked the door open.

The scene behind the door was quite a sight. Draco was still yelling at Harry, trying to wake him up, shaking him constantly. Dragon barked incessantly, licking Harry's face. Dean looked considerably paler as he held onto the bed, trying to figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, Ron was sleeping soundly, smiling at something in his dream. Severus shook his head and put on his professor mask.

"What is going on in here?" Severus demanded to know. Draco finally turned away from Harry and looked directly at his godfather. His eyes screamed of the desperation he felt.

"Help him." Draco ordered, almost whimpering. Severus sighed and moved over to Harry's bedside, on the opposite end of Draco. He placed his hand over Harry's forehead before quickly pulling away. His forehead was on fire, and it seemed to be resonating from Harry's scar. Severus wanted to think on this further, but right now he had more important things to worry about then his godson's cursed scar. He had to get the fever down quickly, before something worse happened.

At that moment, Harry's eyes opened wide. He turned around and threw up right over the bedside before moaning. Draco quickly cleaned away the mess with a spell. Harry sat up quickly and tried to stand up, but Severus kept him from doing so.

"Professor Snape?" Harry wondered, still in a daze. His eyes were unseeing; his lips trembling.

"Mr. Longbottom, get a washrag and soak it in cold water. Bring it here to me immediately." Severus commanded, pushing Harry back into a reclining position. He turned to Dean. "Mr. Thomas, go to the girls' dormitory and find Miss Granger."

"But how am I supposed to get there? There's a trap set up to keep boys out." Dean reminded him. Severus rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"When you get to the staircase, there will be a picture of Godric Gryffindor hanging to your right. Move the painting, and beneath it will be a button. Press it, and it will allow you entrance. Use this trick again at your own peril." Severus instructed. Dean was taken aback, but left anyway.

"How do you know how to get into the _Gryffindor girls_ ' dormitory, Professor Snape?" Draco inquired, an eyebrow quirked.

"That is not important now, Mr. Black." Severus scolded. Dragon perked up and turned his head toward Severus. "Not you."

Draco turned to Harry, concern written on his face.

"What happened?" Draco asked Harry. The boy smiled weakly and sighed bitterly.

"I had a vision. Voldemort's snake attacked Mr. Weasley." Harry explained. He turned to Severus with a scared look. "Will he be alright?"

"I will go check. If he was attacked by Nagini, I will need to take some antivenom with me. Are you sure you're alright?" Severus asked. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, go and help Mr. Weasley." Harry suggested. Severus nodded and left the room.

Once alone, Draco turned to Harry again.

"Did this happen last time?" Draco asked. Harry nodded his head and closed his eyes. He had a massive headache. Neville came back in with the washcloth and placed it on Harry's head.

"What happened?" Neville asked once he saw Harry awake.

"Harry had a vision of Nagini attacking Mr. Weasley. Professor Snape went to go help him and give him some antivenom." Draco summarized.

"Wait, isn't that the snake I kill?" Neville questioned. Harry nodded his head gently.

"Yes, yes it is, Longbottom. That is entirely beside the point. It apparently happened last time and Harry refused to mention it to us." Draco drawled, turning back to Harry with a scowl on his face.

"I didn't remember, okay? I didn't think it was a fixed point in time. At least, I sincerely hoped not. I mean I don't like Ron, but his family's mostly alright." Harry explained. Dragon whimpered and moved closer to Harry. Harry smiled and pet Dragon's head.

At this moment, Ron stirred and began to wake up. He yawned and sat up in bed, looking around the room and seeing Neville, Draco, and Harry all congregated at Harry's bed.

"What's going on? Harry? Neville? Why are you awake this early in the morning?" Ron asked. He looked outside of the window. "It's still dark out."

"Nothing, Weasel. Go back to bed." Draco replied. Ron nodded and was about to go back to sleep when Neville stepped in.

"Doesn't he have a right to know?" Neville asked Draco and Harry.

"No." Draco said.

"Yes." Harry replied simultaneously. Harry and Draco glared at each other.

"Why does he have the right to know, Scarhead?" Draco grumbled. Harry rolled his eyes.

"It's his _father_ , ferret." Harry responded. Ron winced and looked through one eye.

"What's going on?" Ron asked. Draco waved him off again.

"It's too early in the morning for a Weasel's brain to function properly. Go back to bed and we'll explain it to you in the morning." Draco promised. Ron nodded and went back to sleep.

Hermione came in at this time and flung herself at Harry.

"Oh, Harry! I completely forgot! How could we forget something this huge? Are you alright? Was it Mr. Weasley again?" Hermione inquired. Harry smirked despite his migraine and nodded.

"Yes, Mione. I'm alright. Just have a headache, is all." Harry mentioned.

"Oh, yeah!" Neville remembered. He grabbed the towel on Harry's head and started dabbing it. Harry swatted his hand away.

"I'm fine, Nev." Harry promised. Draco rolled his eyes, ran back to his bedside table, grabbed a potions bottle, and handed it to Harry.

"Uncle Sev makes me keep healing potions on me at all times. I'm surprised he hasn't made you yet. Take this, it's for headaches." Draco instructed. Harry sighed and took the proffered bottle. He drank it down and replaced the stopper.

"Is there anything we can do?" Neville asked. Harry nodded.

"Yes. Go to bed. Do not make a big deal about this. That's what I ask." Harry pleaded. The others nodded in understanding and Hermione left, after giving Harry another bear hug and giving Draco a kiss on the cheek. Draco grinned and walked over to his bed, lying down. Neville also went back to bed.

Before going to sleep, Draco turned to Ron's bed. He was still smiling when he said, "Take that, Weasel."

The next morning found Severus Snape sitting on a chair in the Gryffindor boys' dorm, watching his godson sleep. He had found Arthur and given him the antivenom in time, right before he dropped the man off at St. Mungo's. He was still too worried about Harry to think about going back to his rooms to change. Therefore, he was still wearing his nightclothes and bunny slippers as he watched his beautiful godson breathe in and out.

Remus burst through the door at lightning speed. He ran over to Harry's bed and was about to wake up Harry when he noticed Severus Snape sitting next to the boy. He also caught sight of what he was wearing.

"Bunny slippers?" Remus questioned, trying hard not to show his amusement.

"Reginald?" Severus shot back. Remus smiled.

"Did you name them?" Remus asked.

"Look a nine-year-old Draco got them for me. What was I supposed to do, not wear them?" Severus bit back. Remus shook his head.

"He's fifteen. I doubt he would care anymore." Remus replied.

"Do you know my godson?" Severus snapped. Harry moved a little bit in his sleep before peacefully resting. Both turned back to the boy in front of them.

"He looks so much like James when he's sleeping." Remus commented.

"I think he finally looks content, like the weight of the world isn't lying on his shoulders." Severus countered. Remus sighed.

"Too true, too true." Remus agreed. Dragon woke up at this time and happily pranced over to Remus, licking his hand. "Hello to you, too, Padfoot." Severus snorted and turned back to Harry. He placed a hand over the boy's forehead. Good, at least his fever was down.

"I think it would be advantageous of us to start training Harry in Occlumency." Severus stated. Dragon and Remus both turned to look at him.

"Why?" Remus wondered. Severus rolled his eyes.

"The Dark Lord was somehow able to connect with Harry in such a way that Harry saw what he was doing." Severus argued. Dragon turned into Sirius.

"I thought he saw the snake do it." Sirius argued. Severus huffed.

"Yes, but I know for a fact that the Dark Lord is connected to his snake, too…somehow. I have not figured out the details yet of that particular connection, but I should soon. That's beside the point. The truth is somehow my godson is connected to the Dark Lord and I do not like it. Occlumency will help block the connection and eventually we should be able to be free of this menacing little problem." Severus explained.

"Menacing little problem…furry little problem." Sirius considered as he held his hands out, pretending to weigh them. "We have a lot of little problems, don't we?" Remus smacked Sirius upside the head. The animagus rubbed the offending spot, playfully glaring at his friend.

"My real question is, how did you know Harry was in trouble, Lupin?" Severus asked. Remus looked cowed.

"I may or may not have placed a ward or two on Harry that alerts me when he is in distress." Remus admitted. Sirius turned to Remus and looked at him questioningly.

"Why?" He inquired. Remus glared back at his friend.

"Do you really have to ask that?" Remus responded. All three looked around sadly and agreed, it was necessary.

At this point, Draco awoke and sat up in bed. He looked over at the group of men and rubbed his eyes. He opened them again.

"Nope, still here. This is real. A werewolf, a mass murderer, and a Death Eater are all sitting around the bed of the Boy-Who-Lived, worrying about him. I must be dreaming. I would expect more fighting and some hands on somebody's throat." Draco teased.

"Should have been here when _we_ went to school." Remus muttered, a smile playing on his face.

"Yeah, you would have enjoyed it." Sirius teased. Draco shook his head.

"Will Harry be okay?" He asked, suddenly worried for his best friend.

"Of course he will. He's Harry Potter." Severus muttered under his breath.

"Yep, you know those Potters, almost impossible for them to di…oh." Sirius suddenly realized what he was saying. In any other context, it might be funny. But not here, not now.

"Yes, Harry does have the proclivity for escaping danger." Severus mused, ignoring the previous comment. Draco turned to Remus, confusion etched across his face.

"How did you get here so quickly?" He asked the werewolf. Remus turned red and Sirius dropped his head into his hands.

"You do not want to know, Dragon." Severus responded. Sirius looked up suddenly.

"But I already know." Sirius pointed out. Severus rolled his eyes. Remus sighed.

"Not you, Dragon. Draco Dragon." Remus clarified. Sirius shrugged.

"They really should have been more original with my name." Sirius decided.

"I'm pretty sure that was the first name that came to my mind. We couldn't call you Shadow, now could we?" Harry said, suddenly awake and staring at the men surrounding his bed. "What are you all doing here? Remus, what are you doing here?"

"We've already been over this!" Remus noted, embarrassment tinging his cheeks.

"Yes, but I think Harry has the right to know that you have _wards_ placed over him." Severus countered.

"I have wards placed over me? I mean, I know about the blood wards, but I have other ones?" Harry inquired. Remus sighed.

"That's not the important thing here." Remus argued. Harry sighed and let the matter go.

He then explained what had happened the night before. He described his vision in greater detail, and then Draco told them about Harry's reaction. Severus and Sirius both agreed that they needed to look further into this connection Harry seemed to have with Voldemort, as it seemed something to be concerned with. After that, they all went about their various duties as teacher, werewolf, and dog, while Harry just tried to have a relaxing day without class.

Christmas came a few days later. Draco and Harry both walked down to the dungeons, where they were expecting to have a lovely Christmas morning with their godfather.

They arrived at Severus' chambers and knocked on the door. They were surprised when it was not Severus who opened the door, but Sirius.

"Black! Get in here right now! How did you know it was not a Slytherin student in need of my assistance? You could have been spotted. You could have been found out!" Severus ranted. Sirius smiled cheekily.

"Ah, didn't know you cared so much about what happened to me, Sevvie." He held up the Marauder's map. "As for knowing who was at the door, I had the map's help. Besides, I could smell Mal…Black's cologne a mile away."

"Hey!" Draco yelped, scandalized. Sirius looked to Harry for help and Harry nodded.

"Yeah, Dray, you do put a lot of cologne on. It's not like 'Mione will like you any less if you smell bad." Harry defended. Draco glared but let the matter go.

Draco and Harry proceeded to hug their shared godfather. Severus then motioned to them to sit on the couch around what _could_ be considered a Christmas tree. The 'Christmas tree' was about five feet tall and two feet wide. It was scarcely decorated, with only about fourteen ornaments on the entire tree. Most of them were from Draco- seeing as they were childishly decorated and handmade- while a couple were picture frame ornaments. As Harry looked closer he figured out just who had given them to Severus. In one of the picture frames, he could see a muggle picture- an exact copy of one picture in his photo book- of his mother and Severus. Harry smiled, knowing that Professor Snape only had ornaments from the two most important people that were in his life. Of course, Harry was important as well, but he had only known that for a couple of months.

As they sat down, Draco looked at the pile of presents and realized that they were mostly for him and Harry. Also, that they weren't only from Sirius and Severus. Draco didn't expect many presents this Christmas, but was a little peeved when he didn't find _any_ gifts at the foot of his bed when he woke up. As Draco realized something he huffed.

"You stole our presents!" Draco accused. Severus looked up from what he was doing, making tea, and saw a pouting Draco.

"No, I did not. But Black thought you might want to open all your presents together and brought them down when he came, before you two woke up." Severus explained. Draco turned to pout at Sirius. Sirius tried his hardest not to laugh.

"Sorry, Dragon." Sirius apologized, still trying not to laugh. Then he glanced over to the Slytherin, the blond animagi appearing as anxious as a small child on Christmas morning. Sirius had ever been a patient person, but particularly not around Christmas. "Come on Sevvie, Hurry up. We don't need tea to open presents!" he exclaimed. Severus rolled his eyes, but obliged anyhow.

All the sudden the door flew open and Hermione rushed in, seeming very flustered. She promptly ran over to Draco and gave him a hug, and then Harry.

"I was so worried about you two. I went to go wake you up, but you were gone! You could have waited for me. Ever since the snake attack I've been worried sick, Harry Potter. And Draco, you're no better. The likes of you, it's unbelievable that I'm not dead by all the worry." Hermione berated. Snape slyly chuckled, while Sirius looked perplexed.

"Change out the names with Peter, James Potter and Sirius, and I swear that is the exact speech Lily gave us the last day of Seventh year. I swear." Sirius compared. Severus chuckled.

"Yes, Ms. Granger has always resembled a young Lily Evans. But that is beside the point. Should we begin now?" Severus suggested.

"No. Remus should be here." Harry insisted. Severus shook his head and sighed.

"When did I agree to host a bunch of Gryffindor's?" Snape mumbled to himself.

"Aww, come on Sevvie. You love us" Sirius whined, smiling. Severus sighed again.

"I love them, I put up with you and the wolf." He enlightened. Just then Remus came through the fireplace.

"What did I miss?" he asked. Severus and Sirius stared at him incredulously. He looked around the room and shrugged, "Harry sent me a patronus." The two other men nodded and sat down. All three adults made Harry and Draco open their presents first.

Draco had gotten a load of sweets, a camera (muggle- from Hermione), a 'Black sheep of the Black family' shirt (the same Sirius had made for himself and Andromeda), the entirety of the 'Chronicles of Narnia' series (which Severus had admitted that he enjoyed them when he was younger), a necklace that wards off Nargles (that Luna also had said warded off other magical nuisances- Harry also had a matching one), the latest Weird Sisters album (over the summer Draco and Tonks had debated incessantly on their ability to produce good music. Tonks obviously thought Draco didn't understand them yet.), and last but not least, from his godbrother, a Nimbus 2001.

"Harry!" Draco exclaimed panting in excitement, voice almost squeaking. Harry smiled and was suddenly engulfed into a rib breaking hug.

"Well, I knew you missed your old one, so." Harry explained nonchalantly. Draco didn't release the brunet until he was pulled off by Severus.

Harry had received sweets, as well, a magical camera (from Hermione), a stag, a dragon, a dog, and a wolf, stuffed animals (Remus had said- All his favorite people, Severus had only been slightly offended, but mostly amused) the defense book he got last time (Remus and Sirius thought he might want it.), and an entire- yes entire- new wardrobe (Sirius and Severus had both agreed Harry needed to stop wearing his baggy clothes. They had both been pretty embarrassed, walking around the shop, Sirius nudging clothes he liked with his snout and Severus asking the dog "Really?")

"Guys, thank you, but this wasn't necessary." Harry excused.

"Of course, it was, Prongslet. We don't need you wearing those oversized clothes of your cousin. How will you ever get a girl?" Sirius asked.

Harry huffed, "I already have a girl. A wonderful girl who I love." Harry clapped a hand over his mouth. He was blushing profusely and begging merlin that the conversation would end there. Draco chuckled and Sirius made a move to speak, but was silenced by Remus.

"Anyway, I agree. You shouldn't have to wear those hand-me-downs. Just take what your godfathers gave you and be thankful that you didn't get the leather pants Sirius wanted to get you." Remus told Harry. Harry's eyes widened and shut his mouth.

Harry also received the necklace from Luna, as mentioned before, but also a golden snitch from his girlfriend. He acquired a package of owl treats from Hagrid, a Weasley sweater and a letter from Molly.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I have nothing but thanks for you. You gave information that saved Arthur's life, and for that I am forever grateful. The Twins have informed me of the way Ron and Ginny have treated you and I must apologize for them. If you need ANYTHING all you must do is ask and any of us will oblige. We will be on your side no matter what._

 _Lots of love_

 _Molly Weasley_


	60. Dumbledore's Army

Dumbledore's Army

"Harry, we need to."

"No. We need to intake oxygen and imbibe water. Everything else is optional."

"But Harry…" Hermione pleaded, holding out a defense book.

"No, I categorically refuse." Harry replied, returning to his homework.

"We could always try one lesson and see how it…" Draco started.

"Harry," Hermione said with a whine, effectually cutting off her boyfriend. Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Luna.

"Hiya, Luna. How are you? I'm apparently invisible right now and no one can see or hear me. Would you like to join me?" Draco said. Luna smiled.

"I'm invisible to most people." She said sadly.

"No you're not, Luna. They're just too jealous of your beauty and brains to know how to deal with you." Harry said without looking up from his parchment. "And Hermione, I think your boyfriend wants attention. Why don't you take him outside and play with him for a little while?"

"Harry, this is important. Defense lessons are the only way to teach the students here. Umbridge clearly isn't going to do anything to help us."

"We tried it before. Remember what happened?"

"Yes, but that was because I wasn't in charge of it. With my added brilliance, we'll never be caught." Draco said triumphantly. Harry looked up from his essay and stared at his best friend.

"We got caught because you were an ass who was obsessed with me."

"I was not obsessed with you."

"And Dobby heard about my greatness from your father who hates me."

"Dobby's an idiot."

"Hey!" Hermione squealed indignantly. She punched her boyfriend in the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey! What was that for?" Draco cried out indignantly. Harry returned to his paper.

"I would think you should be glad it was just your shoulder this time." Harry said, bowing his head more so that no one could see the smile spread across his face. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Dobby is a great elf. You should respect him more." Hermione said chidingly. Draco sighed.

"Yes, of course. He's a great house elf. He's also an idiot who's obsessed with Harry Potter."

"Like his previous owner." Harry said jokingly. Draco glared.

"I believe we have diverted from the original purpose of this conversation." The blond said. He turned to Hermione. "Weren't you just saying we should start up the DA classes again?"

Hermione huffed. "Yes. They were important. If they're not a fixed point, then what is?"

"Me being a horcrux." Harry said.

"My father being an ass." Draco added.

"Umbridge being an ass." Luna chimed in.

"I think we get the point." Hermione said, frustrated. "Is anyone going to take my side?"

"I tried. You cut me off." Draco said as he laid down on one of the couches in the common room.

"Whatchya guys talking about?" Ron asked, walking over to the little group congregated by the fireplace.

"Nothing, Weasel. Go back and play with your chess set." Draco said nonchalantly.

"Hiya, Harry. What are you guys doing?" Ginny asked, joining her brother next to the fire. Harry rolled his eyes.

" _I'm_ working on a paper. _They_ are arguing." He said before turning back to his scroll. Draco scowled.

" _I'm_ not arguing. _Hermione's_ arguing." Draco said. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to the two redheads.

"I'm thinking about starting up a defense club for those of us who want to actually learn something. What do you guys think?" She asked them. Ginny smiled and stepped over to the chair Harry was sitting in.

"I think it's an excellent idea if Harry's in charge." She said flirtatiously, sitting down on the arm of Harry's chair. Harry scooted farther away from the side.

"I'm not going to be in charge of it. I'm not going to do it. I want nothing to do with some illegal club that could get us expelled." Harry said, frustration tinging his voice.

"Who are you and what have you done to Harry Potter?" Draco asked, eyes wide and mouth agape. Harry sighed and dropped his quill, giving up on writing anything else that day.

"I never want to do what I do. I did not want to go after the Philosopher's Stone. I did not want to fight a basilisk. I did not want to go up against the man who murdered my parents. And I definitely did not want to participate in what has now been dubbed 'The Death Games'. All I want is for one year to be normal. I get up, go to class, kiss my girlfriend, and go to quidditch practice. Is that too much to ask?" Harry said, his voice cracking at the end. Draco sighed.

"For the 'Boy-Who-Lived'? Yes." He said, leaning back farther in the couch. Harry sighed and laid his head against his seat.

"Please, Harry. Everyone would support you." Hermione pleaded. Harry sighed.

"You're not going to give up on this, are you?" He asked.

"If past events have proven anything, no."

"Fine. Let the record show I was not for this. I do not need one more thing on my plate."

"Where should we hold them?" Ron asked. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I don't know, Weasel. Why don't you go and scout out a couple of places and get back to us?" Draco said sarcastically. Ron turned to Harry.

"Yeah, Ron, that's actually a very good idea. Why don't you do that?" Harry said. He thought for a moment and then added, "And take Ginny with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one."

Ginny and Ron smiled widely and jumped at the chance to please the great Harry Potter. Once they left, Luna turned back to the three time travelers.

"Okay, so where are we really going to hold it?" She asked her friends. Harry smiled.

"You catch on so well." He told her. She beamed with pride.

"Well, of course, we're going to use the Room of Requirement." Hermione said. Draco stared at them aghast.

"Are you guys idiots? You did that last time and you got caught." Draco reminded them. Hermione scowled at her boyfriend, and he turned red. "Sorry. Didn't mean to imply you were an idiot."

"What would you suggest, ferret head?" Harry asked. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Potter, you have access to the most hidden room in the entire school. No one but you knows where the Chamber of Secrets is, and only you and Riddle can open it. It's perfect."

"Oh, I never thought of that."

"Of course, you didn't. That's why you're a Gryffindor."

"Draco, you're a Gryffindor."

"It is a curse one must behold." Draco said jokingly.

The next day, Hermione and Luna began circulating news of a big announcement to be heard during the next Hogsmeade trip. They only talked to people who had been members of the last DA, avoiding Marietta Edgecombe like she had the plague. Hermione was adamant she not be allowed to return.

That Saturday, the Golden Trio and Luna walked down to the Boar's Head, a group of people following them. They had told the others to be discreet, but apparently discreet meant outright obvious. They all entered and sat around, ordering butterbeers and some sweets. After they were all settled, Hermione called everyone to attention.

"Welcome everyone. We are here to discuss recent events that have led us to believe our current DADA professor is incompetent. Because of this, we have decided to start a club to teach us the skills to defend ourselves." Hermione started. Before she could continue, the door to the pub flew open.

"What is going on here?" A dark voice drawled. Harry and Draco winced as they saw their godfather standing in the doorway, glaring at them.

"We decided to start a defense club because our DADA professor is incompetent." Draco said, although it sounded more like a question than an answer. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Obviously. But you do realize you need a professor's oversight to start a club."

"Of course. And that's why we knew that you'd be here." Harry said.

"Of course. Do continue." Professor Snape replied almost sarcastically.

Hermione cleared her throat. "We need to learn to defend ourselves from Death Eaters." She looked back at Professor Snape and caught herself. "Dangerous Death Eaters."

Snape glared at Hermione. Harry and Draco both facepalmed. Dragon panted and barked in agreement.

"Whether or not you believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, that does not mean you will never be in a place where your life is in danger. Professor Umbridge-whether purposefully or through her own ineptness-does not recognize this. We need to prepare ourselves for the worst, even if we hope for the best. I think it logical for us to take the responsibility for our education. Who's with me?" Hermione said, hoping for a big response. The entire crowd just stared at her.

Finally, someone raised their hand. Hermione smiled gratefully and called on them.

"Is it true you really fought a dragon when you were two, Harry?" The student asked. Harry rested his head in his hands and began rubbing his eyes. Draco smiled and turned to answer the question.

"Well, you see, he actually didn't fight the dragon. He thought about fighting the dragon, and it exploded." Draco said jokingly. Harry walked over to his friend and smacked him upside the head. In the back, Severus could be found covering a smile with his right hand. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Any _real_ questions?" Hermione asked. Another student raised their hand. "Yes, thank you."

"Harry, is it true you blinded a basilisk?"

"Any questions about the defense club?" Hermione asked, her voice hinting at the annoyance she felt. Luna raised her hand.

"Where will it be held?" She asked. Hermione smiled.

"Excellent question. We will not divulge the place of meeting until the night before our first meeting."

"However, there may or may not be a body of a dead basilisk where we're going." Draco added. The crowd came alive as they whispered to one another. Someone else raised their hand. "Yes?"

"When will meetings be held?"

"We haven't decided that yet. We think it will just depend on the week." Hermione pulled out several galleons from her pocket. "We will use these to communicate the date and time of each meeting. It grows hot when there is a new message, so you should know almost immediately when you receive one."

"Who will be leading these meetings?"

"Harry will." Hermione answered. A wave of whispers crashed down in the pub, as everyone grew restless with anticipation.

Severus stepped forward. "How do you plan to ensure the secrecy of this…gathering?"

Hermione smiled. She waved a piece of parchment in the air. "Before you leave, you must sign this paper agreeing to never mention this to anyone outside of this group. It is charmed with a spell that will do terrible things to whomever divulges our secret. It also serves as a membership roster."

"So, either sign up, or…What will we do to them if they don't sign it, Mione?" Draco asked. Hermione thought for a moment.

"Professor Snape will give you a week's worth of detention." Hermione said threateningly. Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"I will?" He said. He looked over at his godsons, noticing their menacing stares. "I mean, I will…unless you're Gryffindor. Then you get detention with Filch."

"Hey, that's not fair. That's discrimination." A student from Gryffindor yelled.

"Do you think I will be any better than Filch?"

"As you were." The student said dismissively.

"Then, it's agreed. We will have our first meeting soon. Write your name on the parchment and you are dismissed." Hermione said.

Students lined up to write their names on the piece of paper. Before one of them left, they turned to Harry.

"Did you really kill the dead basilisk?" The student asked.

"No, he killed a live basilisk." Draco corrected. The student glared but ran off back to Hogsmeade.

When all the students had left, Severus turned to Harry and Draco.

"When were you going to inform me of this?" He asked his godsons.

"Um, never?" Harry said.

"On my deathbed." Draco answered at the same time.

"You boys could be expelled for this." Severus warned.

"Come on, Uncle Sev, you love us too much." Draco said. Harry shrugged.

"I could also be expelled for keeping a mass murderer as my pet dog. You gotta take chances in life, Uncle Sev."

"Also, I saw Gryffindors, I saw Hufflepuffs, and I saw Ravenclaws. I did not see a single Slytherin. Where are they?"

"Wherever they slither off to?" Harry suggested. He nonchalantly picked up Severys from Draco's arm and held him up to Severus. "Does he count?"

"No. Are we excluding a portion of the school's population solely on the basis of their house?"

"No. We're excluding a portion of the school's population based on their attendance of Death Eater meetings."

"Yes, and every Slytherin is destined to be a Death Eater."

"Says the Slytherin with a tattoo on his left arm." Draco butted in. Severus glared at him.

"That being said, I think you should reconsider your membership base. Slytherins have the right to defend themselves, too."

"Yes, but they could also use the spells we teach them on us." Harry said.

"Yes, with their head of house watching. You will include Slytherins, and I will monitor them."

"Fine with me." Hermione said as she began to pack up. Luna smiled dreamily.

"Harry, did you really kill a dragon when you were two?" She asked him. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure, the Dursleys keep it as a trophy in the living room." He said, grabbing his backpack and walking out of the pub.

Several days later, Harry found himself opening up the Chamber of Secrets for Dragon, Draco, Luna, and Hermione. Severus had reminded them that it might be a good idea to clean it out before the first meeting, since it did have several dead bodies and a few moldy walls.

"Okay, so first thing's first. We need to find a way to let the others come in during a meeting. I don't think it's a good idea for me to stand there in the girls' bathroom waiting for each and every person to come in. It might seem suspicious." Harry pointed out. Draco picked up a rusted sword.

"Or just plain weird." He mumbled as he tried to shine it up a bit. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Can't we think about this later? We really should clean some of this junk out." Hermione said pointedly. Harry sighed.

"Okay. Dragon, you can come out and help us." He said. Sirius came out and sighed.

"Come on. The one time I thought being a dog was a perk."

"Now is not the time for jokes, Sirius. We are going to have our first meeting in three days. We need to be ready." Hermione reminded them. Draco, Harry, and Sirius all rolled their eyes but began to clean up around the chamber.

It took several hours to make the chamber presentable for people. Draco commented that the only thing the place was really good for was as a mausoleum, which earned him a smack on the head from Hermione.

On the day of the meeting, Harry was nervous. He had already done this once. He knew he should not feel uncomfortable in front of this group of people, but he still did. What if he didn't teach them correctly? What if he messed up? What if someone else got hurt? Luna ended up calming him down after he flew into a full-on panic attack.

After they had gotten everyone down into the chamber, Harry began to speak.

"Welcome everyone. This is our first DA meeting. Before we begin, there are some rules that you should be aware of. First, no unapproved hexes shall be thrown at any point whatsoever. Second, no hexing when someone's back is turned."

"On that point, if someone does hex someone else while their back is turned, they should be turned into a ferret. It's only right and fair." Draco said.

"Just let it go already." Harry said.

"I was a ferret, Harry. A ferret."

"Moving on." Harry continued. "Third, you are to listen to Professor Snape, Hermione, Draco, Luna, and me. We will pull you out of class if you disobey any direct instructions given. Is that clear?"

The crowd nodded and muttered assents. Harry nodded in satisfaction and turned to Hermione. She moved forward.

"Today we will begin with something simple: _Expelliarmus_. You will disarm your opponent before they have the chance to hex you. Draco, Harry, an example please?" She said. Draco smiled.

"It's like second year all over again." He said, turning to Harry. "Scared, Potter?"

"You wish, Malfoy-er, Black." Harry said, smiling. He got into position, stopped, and returned to a standing gait. "No snakes, okay?" Draco rolled his eyes but nodded.

Draco cast a hex at Harry and he quickly deflected it. The whole class watched in excitement and cheered when Draco's wand went flying in the air. Harry smiled and turned to the class.

"Great, now your turn." He said, motioning to the group.

They spent the rest of the class practicing how to disarm their opponent. Eventually they separated in to two groups, those who needed more help, and those who mastered the disarming spell. Between the five "teachers" there was more than enough help.


	61. Out of the Frying Pan

Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Microwave

Dumbledore's Army continued on without any sign of an issue. While the Inquisitorial Squad did become a thing again, for some reason they had no clue what was going on. Draco declared it was the lack of his brilliance on the squad that kept them from catching on to what they were doing. One day, Harry had had enough of his gloating. While they were gearing up for their second to last Quidditch match, Harry decided to bring his friend down a few pegs.

"Draco, I hate to say it, but you were just as hopeless on the Squad as they are now. The only reason you ever found out was because of Marietta Edgecombe." Harry paused for a moment, quirking his head to one side. "Come to think of it, the only reason they aren't suspicious of us is because you lead them on wild goose chases through the castle while the rest of us head down to the Chamber of Secrets."

This was actually true. Draco had taken up the responsibility of using the map along with Harry's invisibility cloak to lead the Inquisitorial Squad throughout the castle, disappearing when he got the signal from Luna that everyone was in the frying pan (using their communicators, of course).

Draco pouted. "Well, it's still due to my brilliance." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Of course, Dragon. We couldn't do any of this without you." A gentle voice said, the sound wafting through the air like a breeze. Harry could only smile as he saw Luna walk through the door, until he remembered where he was. He blushed profusely as he realized he was still in the male side of the locker rooms-along with all the other boys on the Quidditch team. He looked down to check if he was decent, only to see neither he nor Draco were wearing shirts. He quickly hoisted his robes over his chest.

Draco rolled his eyes and giggled. "Yes, Scarhead, cover your boobs, because you're a girl." He paused. "It's not like she's never seen a topless guy before."

"Has she?" Harry asked. Luna smirked.

"I am right here, you know!" She said with a bit of a laugh. Draco shook his head and threw his shirt over it.

"I'll see you out on the pitch, Harry-Bear." Draco teased. Harry scowled.

"Shut up, Drakey-poo." He said, throwing the closest thing next to him—a book.

Draco ducked behind his hands and let the book connect with him. Once it was safely on the floor, he picked it up, turning to read the title. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? What is this?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. It was there when I got here."

"Harry, maybe we should investigate this. Someone's writing books about you. Although, I don't know who would bother to read them." Draco drawled. This time, Harry threw his broom at the blond. Draco Black laughed as he grabbed his friend's broom and carried it out to the pitch. Harry turned to see Luna doubled over in laughter.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "This is the _boys_ ' locker room."

Luna smiled. "Yes, and you're a boy. I was looking for you. I wanted to wish you good luck." With that, she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. This surprised him probably more than it should have, but he blushed and stood up due to the shock of it all. He looked down, smiling like a loon. Luna must have thought this adorable, because she placed her finger under his chin, lifted it, and kissed him soundly on the lips.

Unbeknownst to them, as they began to deepen their kiss, another set of eyes was locked in on them. A young redhead peered through the window on the door separating the male/female locker rooms. She glared menacingly as she watched Harry nibble on Luna's lip. She was about to rush in and stop them when she locked eyes with two more redheads, both of which were glaring at her and shaking their heads. She got the message and ran the opposite direction.

Harry and Luna lost track of time and did not notice the twins walking in on them. It was not until they heard a bark that they jumped away from each other. It turns out, the twins had let Dragon in while the two lovebirds had been canoodling. This led to Harry's godfather sneaking a peek at their lovely make out session. He jumped and ran around in circles, grabbing Harry's shirt from him and running out of the locker room. Harry's blush deepened considerably, and he chased the dog to grab back his shirt. This left the twins alone with Luna.

All three stared awkwardly at one another. Finally, Fred broke the silence. "So…you like Harry, do ya?"

Out on the pitch, Draco had already polished Harry's broom and returned it to its rightful owner. He might have questioned Harry's deep red tomato complexion, but he figured what Harry did in the locker room with the twins and Luna wasn't his business.

The game began and quickly Draco was up in the air, easily forgetting his own worries about the coming ministry attack and how he would deal with Lucius Malfoy. It was a topic he considered often, truth be told. He couldn't begin to figure out what his response should be—shock? Awe? Embarrassment? Anger? He shook his head. He was not about to get into that now!

He looked over at the stands to see his beautiful Hermione watching him, a smile dazzling her face. Her presence cleared his mind and once again he concentrated on the game. Or, he would have, if he had not heard a glorious sound coming from the Slytherin stands.

" _Malfoy cannot catch a thing,_

 _He misses every single ring,_

 _That's why Slytherins all sing,_

 _Malfoy is our king."_

He probably should have been mad that they were lying about how awful his talents at Quidditch were, but instead he was proud his legacy had lived on. He remembered fondly those long nights in fifth year, surrounded by a gaggle of glorified groupies, all practicing the Weasley version of this song.

" _No, Goyle, you got it all wrong! You're singing G Flat, not a G."_

" _Pansy, dear, you have the voice of a dying cat. Either find a tune or get out."_

Draco almost sighed with fondness. He shook his head to refocus. He had to prove the Slytherins wrong. He would let Uncle Sev deal with the obviously misinformed snakes later.

Harry saddled up next to him, a look of concern etched across his face. "You okay?" He asked. Draco furrowed his brow.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be? They're calling me their king!" Draco said, preening.

"Once a Slytherin Ice Prince, always a Slytherin Ice Prince…" Harry stopped for a minute. "Wait, does that mean you technically were praising Ron?"

Draco widened his eyes in horror. "Oh no! I was complimenting a Weasley!"

Fred rode up and glared at the two players. "Oi, we're not _all_ that bad."

In the end, Gryffindor won and Harry enjoyed another long kiss with Luna. Hermione ran up to Draco and tackled him in a big hug. He took his chance and tried to kiss her. After a long kiss she did not reject, she slapped him.

"What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his cheek, still happy it was not a fist to his nose.

"We're in public, Ferret. People will see us."

" _They_ don't seem to mind!" The blond yelled, motioning towards the hormone-absorbed couple. Hermione glared at him.

A few days later, it was decided that another DA meeting was in order. Severus had to politely decline from helping, as this was the _one_ Death Eater meeting they had planned way in advance. Apparently—as Harry was loathed to find out—every year, Death Eaters planned a pre-destruction of Harry Potter party. Severus was on the decorating committee. He was the only one who had a good understanding of the different types of black.

"You're missing DA club to plan a party about my death?" Harry asked his godfather accusingly. Severus sighed.

"Not about your death, before your death. Besides, it was a unanimous vote that I head up the committee." Severus smirked. "If you're feeling bad, just remember so far each of them has actually led to several drunk escapades that probably saved your life."

Draco sighed reminiscently. "Ah, I remember those. I brought the cake to the last one."

Severus sat back contemplatively. He furrowed his brow and stared at Draco. "I don't remember you being there, Dragon."

Draco's eyes widened. Harry looked at his watch and smacked his head. Yep, 7:30 in the morning. He should have known better than to let Draco out before 8. Maybe he could buy a muzzle on the pretense of needing it for Dragon. He never had to specify, did he?

"You—you were too drunk to notice me," Draco lied pathetically.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Uncle Sev gets drunk?"

"Only when I have to spend the day watching you." Severus sighed, a smile ghosting across his lips. "Not to change the subject away from my intoxication, but as the sponsor teacher for the club, I do feel the need to remind some people of the rules concerning public displays of affection during this meeting…"

Harry blushed. "Why…why would you need to bring that up?"

"Because there will not be an adult there to supervise."

Draco turned to look at the golden dog sniffling through Severus' room. "Won't Sirius be there? Isn't he an adult?"

Severus stared over at the dog currently trying to access his underwear drawer. "That is questionable."

Even though Professor Snape was not there, the DA meeting was a huge success. That night, they focused on the Patronus Charm, and all but two people had successfully completed the spell before they closed out for the night./l.

Harry stood near the entrance, holding the Marauder's Map and watching as people climbed the new ladder they added in. He made them go in groups of two or three, like in the previous timeline. It all seemed to be going well until Harry suggested Draco and Hermione go ahead of him and Luna. He wanted to get in one goodnight kiss before going to bed. He sent Sirius with his friends and Luna and he spent a few minutes kissing. Harry was about to go up with her when he realized he left his DADA book back near the basilisk skin. He told Luna to go on ahead; he would see her tomorrow. That was a mistake.

"Why, hello Mr. Potter! Might I ask where you have been all night?" A high pitch squeal rang out as he made it to the top of the ladder. Merlin, she really did sound like a pig, Harry thought as he looked down the ladder towards freedom. Maybe he could just hide down there for a few millennia. It had worked for the basilisk. "Well?"

Harry contemplated his next words carefully. "Well, considering I'm coming out of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, I'm going to say Wonderland." Maybe he had not thought through his words enough.

 _Merlin, she looks like a pig, too._ Harry thought as Umbridge turned the type of pink only read about in girly fanfiction novels.

"You, my dear boy, have been caught red handed!" The toad said triumphantly, ignoring his previous comment. Harry looked around.

"Yeah, you caught me. I sometimes like to come here at night. Once in a while, I try to talk Moaning Myrtle into a threesome with the Bloody Baron."

Before Umbridge could speak, another figure slithered in. The DADA professor decided she could take out her annoyance on the newest member to their party.

"Professor Snape, might you explain your presence in this room tonight?" She asked, haughtiness dripping from her voice like honey.

"Yes, you caught me. Sometimes, I come here alone at night and try to talk Moaning Myrtle into a threesome with the Bloody Baron." Severus replied. Harry stared at his godfather, aghast. Severus looked over at him and winked.

From this point on, the only word to describe what happened next was conniption. Umbridge turned that impossible shade of purple that only Uncle Vernon could conjure. She huffed and puffed. Even Severus wondered if she would blow their house down. She subsequently slapped him when he asked her if that was the plan.

"Severus Snape, if you cannot come up with a good, _reasonable_ explanation for your presence here tonight, then I will have to assume you are complicit in the goings-on of one Dumbledore's Army." Umbridge finally said. Severus bit his lip from saying something along the lines of, "I gave you a good, _reasonable_ explanation."

"Madame Umbridge, do you really think _I_ of all people would be complicit in any rule-breaking done by one Harry Potter?"

"He is your godson's best friend."

"Ex-godson."

"Beside the point…"

"No, that actually _is_ the point…"

"Uhm, may I go now? I have a test in Charms tomorrow…" Harry asked, pointing toward the door.

"No!" Both professors said in unison, turning and facing him. They then turned back toward one another.

"Well, Professor Snape, if you are not in fact part of this little DA club, you should have no problem taking him to Dumbledore's office. I must grab our witness and I would rather he not have time to intimidate them." Umbridge said, a smirk slowly spreading across her face. Severus nodded.

"Of course. Come along, Mr. Potter." Severus said, trying to put as much anger and hatred into his words as he could. It was all Harry could do to keep from laughing his head off.

They began their trek toward Dumbledore's office. Harry decided to make small talk as they went. "How'd planning go? Did they like your opinions on the décor?" Severus sighed and looked at his godson out of the corner of his eye.

"Is it really hard for you to keep your head down and not get into trouble?" He asked, hoping they could talk this out before getting to the headmaster's office.

"I'm Harry Potter. Does that answer your question?" Harry asked.

"Your mother never got into this much trouble."

"But you didn't take into account for my father."

"Your father _tried_ to do the wrong thing and got caught. You try to do the right thing, and you end up…" Severus paused trying to come up with the right words.

"Face-to-face with the devil?" Harry put in, a cheeky smile plastered on his lips. Severus shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Just do not speak unless spoken to. Do not offer up any information. Didn't Miss Granger have a spell to avoid this type of a problem? How is there a witness?" Harry's godfather asked.

"I don't know, but I think we should be more worried about whether or not this witness will tell them about your participation in all of it." Harry said mournfully. He feared for his Uncle Sev. If it came out Professor Snape not only turned a blind eye to Harry Potter's rule breaking, but helped him in it, then it might come out that he was a spy working for the Order. Severus seemed to understand what Harry was saying, and he began fashioning a tale that might save his neck.

When they got to Dumbledore's office, Harry realized what was about to happen. All the players were in place. This was the scene in his tale where Dumbledore would do what he did best—leave the teenagers to deal with everything.

Severus never left Harry's side, though he did move slightly to the left, distancing himself somewhat from the radioactive boy.

"Ah, Harry! So good to see you again! I feel like we have not seen each other in a very long time." Dumbledore said, almost sadly. Merlin, he was a good actor.

"Well, sir, I have been a bit busy." Harry replied, glaring at the man openly.

"Yes, very busy flouting rules and getting into mischief." Umbridge said as she walked in with someone covered in a veil. Harry just had to wonder how Marietta Edgecombe figured it out, since she never was a part of the meetings.

He shrugged. "Well, if you have a talent…"

"I do believe, good woman, that you have him confused with his father." Professor McGonagall said, stepping out from the shadows.

"Like father, like son." Severus mumbled, but he didn't have any heart behind the words. He knew it wasn't true.

"Madame Umbridge, I do believe that Mr. Potter has a right to hear the accusations held against him, along with facing his accuser." Dumbledore said, trying to move this along quickly. Harry figured he probably had an eagle to catch. Wait, that was another wizard. He had more to do with hobbits.

"Fine. Mr. Potter is charged with creating an illegal club…" Umbridge started.

"It wasn't illegal! We had a profess…" Harry stopped himself. All eyes turned to him. "Never mind. Continue on."

"Gryffindors." Severus sighed.

"He also is accused of trying to start a riot and overthrow the current Minister of Magic." Umbridge continued.

"What? When did I do that?" Harry asked.

"Finally, he is accused of leading to the delinquency of a minor…"

"When did I ever give them alcohol?"

"And his accuser is too afraid to step forward."

"She's right there, isn't she?" Harry asked, pointing to the veiled witness. "I demand she come face me like a ma…woman." He corrected himself.

Umbridge sighed and motioned for the witness to remove the veil. To Harry's surprise, it was not Marietta Edgecombe under the veil.

"Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked, surprised. What surprised Severus more (of course it was Ginny Weasley. She clearly had a crush on Harry, and he was not private about his love life) was what seemed tattooed in red on her face. Pimples formed the word SNEAK across her face. Oh, Severus thought, _that_ was what Miss Granger meant by spell. He made a note never to cross her again.

After that point, all hell broke loose and Dumbledore flew off on his magical phoenix. Severus agreed to take Mr. Potter's detention (it was Minerva's suggestion, and he put up a good fight for show). He figured he and his godson could use the quality time together, anyway.

Draco and Hermione were not surprised to hear Dumbledore left, but were surprised that Ginny ratted them out.

"I always knew I had a reason for hating Weasleys." Draco said after hearing Harry's tale.

"Not all of us are that bad!" George yelled across the common room. Harry and his friends laughed.

News of Dumbledore's leaving spread quickly, though not as quickly as some other bits of gossip. That following day, the twins walked up to Professor Snape during lunch during a lull in the chatter.

"So, Professor Snape, George and I hear the Bloody Baron is free tomorrow night. Would you like us to check with Moaning Myrtle for you?" Fred asked.

Draco's eyes widened. "Man, I wanted to say that, but I didn't actually have the guts to do it." He whispered to Harry. The brunet nodded.

Severus took a deep, shaky breath. He got out of his seat, slowly walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him. A huge _bang_ reverberated through the dining hall. Severus walked back in and pointedly stared at the two redheads.

"Detention," He said calmly, forcefully. He then walked right back out.

Draco turned to Harry. "How would one have sex with a ghost?"

"Draco, you know they were joking!" Hermione reminded her boyfriend.

"Yes, but I still want to know the logistics."


	62. And Into the Microwave

A/N: Warning-Character Death (not anyone we portray really well, but...idk, maybe you like them in canon?)

The Department of Mysteries

Pettigrew's fingers danced along the tabletop. He never liked the end of the year. Either he was endangering his life, or he was being chastised for not dying. No one appreciated his standing with the Dark Lord, including the Dark Lord.

"Ahem," Voldemort's breathy voice still caused fear in his most loyal subjects. At least that is what Pettigrew told himself as a shiver went down his spine. "I now call this meting to order," Voldemort said.

"Aren't we missing your most trusted spy," Pettigrew asked.

"No ever really knows where Severus, lies. He comes and goes as he pleases."

"And you allow that my Lord," Rudolphus LeStrange scoffed.

Voldemort shrugged, "He grows on you." The Death Eaters all shared a look of confusion, but quickly recovered.

"Why are we here, my Lord?" Bellatrix asked.

"As you know, over fourteen years ago, I went after one Harry Potter…"

"The boy-who-lived-to-give-us-a-headache; yes, we know," Lucius said, his head resting in his hand.

Voldemort glared at the man. "Is this not of interest to you, Lucius?"

"Of course, my Lord. Forgive me for interrupting."

Voldemort turned back to the matter at hand. "Yes, well, very few know why I went after him."

"There was a prophecy," Pettigrew responded. The Dark Lord glared at the rat

"Yes, but…"

"No one knew what it said—not all of it, at least. Snape-"

"Wormtail! Are you questioning my ability to recall the events of _my_ own past?" Voldemort asked, his voice hard. Pettigrew cowed in his seat and shook his head slowly. The dark lord took a deep breath. "Excellent. Now as Wormtail was saying, Severus was thrown out before he could hear the rest of the prophecy. no one really knows what that prophecy revealed in full. All we know is that it foretold of a young boy born at the end of July who would be able to destroy me."

"Severus said it only mentioned a dark lord, how do we know it was you?" Lucius asked, twirling his wand in his fingers.

"Silence! Are you saying you think there is a more powerful _Dark Lord_ than I?" Voldemort hissed. The blond dropped his wand and sat up straight. "You should be grateful I am in a forgiving mood. However, don't believe for a minute I have forgotten about this." Lucius tried to regain his Malfoy façade, but fear was evident in his eyes. "You're right. We can't know it's me, because we never heard the full prophecy. However, I know of a place where we can find it."

"Where, my lord?" Bellatrix asked, her hands folded in front of her, her eyes solely fixed on him.

"The department of mysteries."

"Hasn't Nagini been trying to sneak in for months?" Lucius asked cautiously, his attention now better placed.

"She has, and she almost succeeded. Dumbledore somehow figured it out and placed sentries at the entrance. She made it past one…"

Lucius quirked and eyebrow. "How?"

"She bit one of the guards: Arthur Weasley."

"Then, why didn't she get it?"

"That, my dear Lucius, is a good question. I do believe it has something to do with the scarheaded boy whom Draco befriended."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "What could Potter possibly succeeded in?"

"Defeating the dark lord five times?" said Narcissa.

"Hiding a fugitive?" added Pettigrew.

"Depriving the Malfoy's of an heir?" said Bellatrix. Lucius jumped out of his seat, wand ready. Bellatrix mirrored him.

"Enough! I have had it up to here with all of you! Crucio!" said Voldemort, wand pointing at Pettigrew. Everyone shut up. They fell back straight into their seats, hands folded. Voldemort smirked "I believe Potter may be able to access my thoughts."

"How, my lord?" Narcissa asked.

"I don't know, but I would like to use this possible connection to our advantage. Only Potter or I can obtain the prophecy, since it only mentions the two of us."

Narcissa's brow furrowed even farther. "Then how could Nagini have taken it, anyway?"

"She is an extension of me. The magic would have recognized her."

"But now, so will the ministry," said Lucius.

"Right. That leaves Potter as the only one who could retrieve it."

"What about you, my lord?" Pettigrew asked.

Nott scoffed. "Are you a fool, Wormtail? Do you truly believe the dark lord can waltz into the ministry and take whatever he wants without interference?"

Bellatrix roared. "Do you doubt our lord's capabilities, Nolt?"

"No, but I do believe he is wise enough to not put himself in undue danger. Am I right, my lord?"

Voldemort nodded. "It is easy enough to manipulate Potter. We will get him to do as we ask. However, we must figure out a way to lure him to the Department of Mysteries."

"I know, my lord," said Lucius, "that he a very strong relationship with his godfather—Sirius Black. I saw the man, or dog, with him on the platform."

"You mean the pet he takes everywhere with him?" Pettigrew asked. "Black never leaves his side. There's no way we could convince the boy to leave Hogwarts because of Sirius. He'd look down, see the mutt was fine, and go on his merry way."

"But we are on the right track," Narcissa said, her hand fingering her wand ever so gently. She stood up. "One moment, my lord. I do believe I have something that might help."

Narcissa left, silence trailing behind her. No one dared to speak after the ominous atmosphere the woman created. Voldemort sat wondering how she left the room with so much control without threatening bodily harm. Perhaps he needed lessons. Or breasts. Moments later she returned dragging a house elf behind her.

"Kreacher?" Bellatrix screeched. Narcissa kicked the elf, motioning for him to approach Lord Voldemort.

"What is this disgusting creature doing here?" Voldemort asked, looking bored with the subject.

"Isn't Kreacher the name of Black's house elf?" Pettigrew asked.

"Precisely. Kreacher, tell our Lord what you told me." Narcissa said, nudging him forward with the end of her wand.

"M-my Lord. What an h-honor it is." Kreacher said, bowing.

"Get on with it." Voldemort demanded.

"Harry Potter stayed with my master this summer and is indeed quite close with him. However, Mister Potter has another acquaintance he is more than fond of. A half-breed by the name of Lupin." Kreacher said with disgust.

"But of course, Remus." Pettigrew said eyes widening in realization. "They have q-quite the odd relationship. He is more like a mother hen to the boy. Or mother wolf, if you will" Pettigrew chuckled nervously at his own joke. "Harry would give his life for the beast."

"And you allowed your son to befriend this child?" Bellatrix asked Narcissa with a smirk.

"I don't remember having much say in the relationship. By the time I was made aware, it was far too late. I blame Lucius."

The Dark Lord drew the attention back to him. "Then it's settled. We will lure Potter to the Department of Mysteries using the wolf. However, we need to settle who will lead this mission."

"I offer my assistance in the matter," Lucius said with determination.

"That settles it. Nolt, LeStrange numbers 1, 2, and 3, Crabbe, Mulciber, Dolohov, Jugson, Macnair, Avery, Augustus, and Travers will go to the department of Mysteries. Dismissed."

Nott tried not to show anger at the mispronouncing of his name. One by one the room emptied. No one wanted to stay alone with Voldemort for longer than they had to, except Bellatrix, who looked lovingly at her lord. Rudolphus had to pull her away, but he was not about to leave the two of them alone together.

"I take my leave, Lucius. Good evening," Voldemort said before apparating away.

Silence filled the room. Lucius' smug smile lit his face, all the way to his eyes, before he turned and saw Narcissa glaring at him. The corners of his mouth dropped.

"Cissy?"

"How could you?"

Lucius quirked an eyebrow. "What did I do now?"

"Why in the world would you volunteer to head up such a feat?" Narcissa threw her arms in the air. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "No, it is way too dangerous. Can you—by any stretch of the imagination—come up with a plausible reason one could find you in the Department of Ministries, surrounded by escaped Azkaban inmates?"

"Narcissa, I…"

"And if you fail, what then? Do you think our lord will be kind and understanding?"

"Well, no, but…"

"And you will fail, Lucius. Have you not learned anything over the past five years? That Potter boy is invincible."

Lucius stomped his foot. "Enough. I will not have my abilities questioned in my own home."

"Lucius, please…"

"No. The benefits far outweigh the risks. Do you realize what it would mean to have the prophecy?" Narcissa opened her mouth. "No, you don't. Only two people heard the full contents of that prophecy: Dumbledore and the person who made it. Dumbledore does not want the prophecy to get out and Voldemort wants to hear it. Whoever holds the prophecy controls both lords—light and dark."

Narcissa sighed. "Is control really worth your family?"

"What family?" Lucius scoffed, "We have no heir."

"Your money?"

"I can make more."

"Your honor?"

"Lost that years ago."

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

Anything else they were about to say was drowned out by a loud squawk, a scream, and then Pettigrew running around the dining hall, a peacock chasing him.

"Pettigrew, how many times have we told you not to go near the peacock enclosure," Lucius said, rubbing his eyes with his hand.

"I wasn't. It just came up and attacked me," Pettigrew said, and he meant it. He had stopped just outside the door, listening in on Lucius and Narcissa's conversation. He realized Lucius might have a point, though he knew his lord would never let him go. He was contemplating the ramifications for going alone when a massive peacock came up behind him and nipped his butt.

"Why in the world would our peacock attack you?"

"I don't know."

Bellatrix burst through the door, laughing hysterically. "Oh, oh that was good!"

Pettigrew glared at the woman before turning to Narcissa. "You need to keep your maniac sister on a leash."

"I've been contemplating it," Narcissa said, staring at her sister with disinterest.

Back at Hogwarts, things had been going swimmingly. Umbridge made new law after new law. While Dumbledore's army continued, they had to be more careful now than ever before. However, the trio knew what was to happen next. Hermione had taken up pestering Harry about what they were to do about it.

"I don't know 'Mione." Harry said throwing his hands up in exasperation, "For the fifteenth time, I don't know how we are going to use the battle of the department of mysteries to our own advantage. If you come up with an idea, let me know, otherwise stop interrupting my studying."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in anger. "Oh, now that it's _your_ studying that's being interrupted _I_ have to go away. How come that was never the case last time around when I was the one studying?" she huffed.

Harry sighed. "Your right. I'm sorry."

"forgiven. Now let's round up the posy and head to the Come and Go room to discuss this." Harry rolled his eyes, Hermione got up, but promptly stopped in her tracks "Although, who should we alert?"

Harry looked up at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously we can't bring the original posy. I mean, we could replace the two Weasley's with the other two Weasley's. unless you really think it's crucial to bring them along to keep timelines the same." Hermione said.

Harry shook his head. "Nah, we don't need the younger Weasley's, however, I think it is important that we bring in the Twins on this. I mean, they could be really helpful."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Although I don't see your point, I'll go round-up the twins." He then pointed at Hermione," You get Neville. Harry can contact Luna on the communicators. Dragon, head to the Room of Requirement and get it ready. On three? Or can we just get too it?" Draco asked cocking an eyebrow.

Hermione and Harry sat there looking perplexed. Draco stared back at them, "What? I thought I'd make it easier for you two and delegate. Problem?" when he received no answer he smiled. "That's what I thought. I'm going to go find the twins. See you in about fifteen minutes." And with that Draco got up and was about to leave before he stopped in his tracks. "Although, the younger Weasley would make some pretty snake bait. And maybe, we don't even save them. The snakes will we happy and our pest problem is gone!" Draco interrupted.

Hermione looked at her boyfriend, "Draco, what did we say about feeding people to snakes. It gives them bad digestion."

Draco sighed. "I know dear. Fine, we'll save the weasels, but we should still bring them along." Harry and Hermione nodded along in agreement.

Fifteen minute later they all met up in the Room of Requirement.

"Alright," Harry started, " we called you all here because something big is about to happen."

"How do you know that?" Ron asked.

"Dumbledore told me." Harry said glancing around the room trying to think of a way to change the subject.

"You are on speaking terms with Dumbledore?"

"Do you want to be here or not, Weasley?" Draco said rubbing his temples. Ron cowed quickly and shut up.

"Anyway. Voldemort is going to try and lure me into the Department of Mysteries. We need to figure out a way where we win. Voldemort is going to try and steal a prophecy about me, and I think we can beat him to it." Harry said, bouncing up and down in his seat. The group looked at him patiently. "That is why I called you here. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, you should steal the prophecy first!" Fred shouted. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"That's a terrible idea. Harry shouldn't go to the ministry. I mean, first of all, if he gets caught what would we do then. He'd be in the hands of the ministry, plus Umbridge would expel before she threw a party about it." Sirius popped out of his dog form.

"I have an idea!" four pairs of eyes jumped out of their respective heads.

"Oh my merlin!" Ginny screamed while Ron fainted.

"Cool." The twins said in unison.

"Oops."

"Oops?"

"Calm down Hermione," Draco said.

"Why even keep a secret anymore? Lets just call up the Minister of Magic and tell him we're re best buddies with the mass murderer. Let's invite Rita Skeeter for tea and have her write an expose about how Sirius Black is living at Hogwarts."

"It worked once" Harry mumbled. "What's your idea, Padfoot?"

"Padfoot?" the twins said.

"Not now, guys. You can fawn over him later." Draco said sighing.

"I have a theory. I believe that the prophecies aren't solely connected to DNA. I believe that it is connected to your magical signature. And what else is connected to Harry's magical signature."

"His wand!" Hermione said in realization. Sirius and Draco started giggling.

Harry's eyes widened. "Not that wand, guys!"

Sirius and Draco's giggles ceased.

"Yes, his wand, and this wand is very portable." Sirius summed up.

"I don't know Harry's wand can really take you places." Luna said. Everyone started laughing accept for Luna. "What? Harry's wand can actually take you places. It apparates."

"And I know a lovely young lady who's gonna try it out." Sirius said failing to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, Harry's really willing to take her there." Draco said before falling on the floor laughing. Harry face turned bright red to the point he couldn't even feel his it. He got up and walked out of the room slamming the door.

A week later, everything was set. Getting the crystal ball was difficult but the Twins were ready for the challenge.

The boys walked up to the ederly madame eyes sparkling and grins plastered on their faces.

"Madame," George said, "My brother here is love struck and wanted to know if his true love goe to Hogwarts. Would you mind doing a tea leaf reading for him?"

"But of course, I knew George would be needing my assistance today." Trewlaney said.

They sat down, had a cup of tea, and it wasn't five minutes before she was flat on her back asleep.

"Do you know how long that will put her out for?" Fred asked.

"Nope, I just came up with it this morning. I guess we'll find out soon."

"Maybe it'll work for one of our skiving snack boxes."

"My thoughts exactly, my dear brother. My thoughts exactly"

Then, Sirius contacted the one person he knew could keep such a dangerous mission to herself.

"Now, Tonks. This will have to happen when your on duty."

"Got it"

"And you can't tell Dumbles."

"Gotcha."

"And you have to carry Harry's wand" she blinked. Her lips trembled.

"Alright," she said, her face straight. He handed her the wand and the fake prophecy.

"Any questions?"

"Not that I care to say aloud."

Harry spent the week of O.W.L.S mentally preparing himself to see a tortured Sirius. Hermione quizzed him incessantly, insuring that he could take the least amount of time possible to complete his O.W.L. in history. He felt so prepared that it came as quite a shock during his history O.W.L. that nothing happened.

Harry stomped out of the test. "That was it!" he yelled.

Hermione walked out after him, "Harry. Come on now, you did well on that"

"Yeah, I could have taken it in my sleep, because that's what was supposed to happen." As soon as the words escaped his mouth, the floor suddenly got much closer. He didn't have much time to process this, however, because Voldemort appeared cackling with glee.

"Bring me the prophecy," Voldemort demanded.

"Never," a voice coughed out. Harry's ears perked up. _Wait a minute, that wasn't Sirius' voice._

"Bring me the prophecy." This time the image crystalized. Now, a battered, bruised Remus kneeled in front of the prophecies.

"Seriously?" Harry asked.

"Come out, come out, Potter. It's time to play," Voldemort said in a sing-song voice. "Wouldn't want your precious beast harmed, would you?"

Before Harry could answer, the room began to spin. A hand slapped him. He blinked, squinting. His vision cleared and there stood Draco, hand poised ready to slap him again.

Harry grabbed his wrist. "Whoa, I'm awake."

Draco whined. "Come on. That was fun."

"I'll turn you into a ferret."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Boys," Hermione said in a huff.

At this point, Severus walked over to the threesome, about to say something. He then caught sight of Draco, straddling Harry with Harry's hand clutching Draco's wrist. He shook his head, sighed, and left, completely forgetting to warn them of the rumors in some death eater circles.

Sirius popped up. "Get a room."

"This is a hallway. Sirius," Hermione said, glancing quickly around the area.

"Don't worry, Mione. He's a free man soon, anyway. Voldemort sent me the vision."

"I still don't understand how you think you're going to free Sirius with our current plan."

"Simple. We know Wormtail is at Malfoy Manor (yes, Draco, you were crucial in helping us find out that little tidbit. I don't know how we could have done this without you). We also know the aurors capture Lucius at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. We can demand the aurors question Lucius using Veritaserum concerning the whereabouts of one Peter Pettigrew," Harry said, wriggling out from under Draco.

Draco straightened. "Can I do the questioning?"

"Will there be curses involved?"

"I cannot confirm nor deny…"

"Then, no."

"Was it ever going to be a yes?"

"No, but this way it feels justified."

Hermione called the gang together. They had convinced the twins to stay and graduate, if only to annoy Umbridge further. They came running from their room, loaded down with goodies.

"Now, remember," Hermione said as she helped Fred onto a Thestral, "your main goal is to create the swamp and keep any captured death eaters in there. No snooping around, you two."

"Aw, come on, Mione," Ron said, hugging Ginny tight to keep her from falling.

"You aren't even going to have time to snoop, Weasley," Draco said, jumping on his noble steed.

They took off. Harry glanced back as Hogwarts quickly faded in the distance. "Hey, Mione, this might be a little late to ask, but do you actually have polyjuice on you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Harry. I started keeping a stock after last year." She turned to Draco. "Where did you get all those ingredients?"

"I would purposefully mess up potions so Sev wouldn't notice missing ingredients."

"You never mess up potions in class."

"No, during God-daddy/godson bonding time."

"God-whatty?" Harry asked, facing his god-brother.

"Well, we can't both call him god-father."

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Magic, Harry ducked into the phone booth. Pops reminded him that he in fact could apparate and what he was about to do was completely useless. Using his wand, he quickly popped on down to the atrium, where three faces stood around, silently judging.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You have a wand. Use it," Draco said, exasperated.

They all rushed down to the D.M. Only two there really understood what was happening as they watched the doors spin around.

"Oh, no. How are we going to know which one to go through?" Ginny asked as Luna dug in her purse. She picked out a piece of chalk.

"How about we open each door, see what's inside, and then mark it with this?" she asked, walking toward a door.

"You carry a piece of chalk in your purse?"

"You don't?"

Ginny scowled but kept quiet as Hermione and Luna broke the long piece of chalk in half and each worked their way around.

"Uhm, why am I pictured on this door?" Ron asked, pointing to a drawing of a brain chasing a stick figure labelled Ron.

Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. "Do not go in that room," she said. She pointed around the room, "You can go in that door, and that door, and you need to end up in that door. But whatever you do, don't go into this room."

"Okay?" Ron said, furrowing his brow.

"Alright, everyone. Grab a hair off Harry, and take a swig of this."

"Wait, what?" Harry asked. Before having time to react, the group surrounded him, and six arms reached into his hair, each picking a strand. He rubbed his head as everyone began drinking. "Why?"

"Dumbledore gave me the idea."

"That was idiotic and you know it."

"Yeah, he really should have had you drink the potion with the hair of a random muggle. I'm not saying the man's a genius."

"Why couldn't he transfigure me into an owl?"

"Was McGonagall there?"

"No."

"Do you really trust Tonks' transfiguration skills?"

"No."

"Remus?"

"No."

"Fred."

"I get your point."

By that time, a total of seven Harrys stood around the entryway of the D.M. One Harry surveyed their handiwork, smiling.

"Okay, none of this will work if only one of us is wearing glasses, my dear," Draco—as Harry—said. Another Harry held up a fistful of plastic, black glass frames. "As you were."

A Harry walked down the third aisle of the room of prophecies, bored out of his mind. How many idiotic prophecies could there be? Prophecy number three million and thirty two: Moaning Myrtle, the Red Barron, and an unknown Hogwarts Professor. The Harry smirked.

 _Tinkle_. The Harry turned. Someone was there. They had to be.

"Hello?" the Harry called. "Hello?" they said in a sing-song voice. "Mr. Death Eater man? Or woman, I don't mean to be sexist."

The Harry turned down to the next row. They stopped in front of a prophecy _: S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter_.

"Interesting," the Harry said.

"I'd tend to agree."

The Harry turned to see Lucius Malfoy and several masked death eaters behind him. All had wands pointed at him.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy." He turned to the others. "Mr. and Mrs. Death Eaters."

"Oh, stuff it already," a death eater said, pulling off their mask. Bellatrix LeStrange blew a strand of hair from her face. "Give us the prophecy or die."

"Now, now, Bella, dear sister. Our orders demand we bring back the boy alive," Lucius said, patting her on the head. She snapped, almost biting him. He rolled his eyes. "Now, Mr. Potter, I do highly recommend you hand over the prophecy to me."

"Over your dead body," the Harry said, brandishing a wand.

"Isn't it supposed to be 'over my dead body'?" a death eater asked. The Harry smiled.

Suddenly, a bright explosion rocked the room. The Harry grabbed the prophecy orb and ran down the aisles, trying their best to not destroy the prophecies. Every once in a while, they'd change direction ever so slightly, ensuring they set off the next firework bomb.

The death eaters chased after him, but quickly lost sight of him. As they were about to slow down, he appeared again, this time wearing a plaid skirt.

"He had a wardrobe change?" Crabbe asked, throwing his mask away.

Lucius rubbed his temples. "I have a feeling this isn't actually Potter."

"Darn it, Ginny," a voice called out in the distance.

"Well, excuse me for wearing my appropriate uniform."

Another Harry burst through the aisle, dashing past the death eaters.

"Three?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes following the fading form.

"How do we know which one to follow?" Crabbe asked, scratching his head.

"If they're wearing skirts, ignore them," Lucius ordered. He ran off, following the pantalooned form.

The death eaters split up and chased after different Harrys. Rabastan seemed to not understand the idea of ignoring skirts, quickly being caught in a swamp after following one Harry wearing a suspiciously short one. The twins began setting off fireworks around the swamp, but they also seemed a bit wary of that Harry.

"We should probably tell Mum to let go of those hems," Fred said to George. His twin nodded as he set off a pyro-shot.

The flight from Malfoy Manor had been tough, but it was nothing compared to the glory Pettigrew knew he'd gain once he came back with Potter in tow. Yes, the multiple Harry's had thrown him off at first, but he soon noted that one was especially careful not to knock his robe pocket. He must have the prophecy. And who would trust anyone with the orb except the one, true Harry?

"I got you," Pettigrew said as he twisted the Harry's arm behind him.

"Ahh," the Harry gasped, squinting his eyes shut, clenching his teeth.

"Walk," Pettigrew said, his wand stabbing into the Harry's abdomen. The two of them headed towards the door. "I knew you would be here. Imagine my lord's delight when I not only deliver the prophecy to him, but the boy-who-lived, as well."

"Didn't you babysit me? Weren't you there when I was born?"

"Your point?"

"Did you ever care about me at all?"

Pettigrew shrugged. "Did your father ever care for me?"

Out of the corner of his eye, the Harry saw a skirted Harry, wand raised. He scrunched his nose. "Actually, I do believe he once called you the 'rat of all rats'."

The Harry stomped on Pettigrew's foot seconds before the skirted Harry blasted him through the door. If the rat had cared to pay attention, he would have seen this particular door had a lovely picture of a clock on it.

"Yuck," he said, trying to get up. He couldn't move. "What is this?"

"A swamp," the twins said in unison, another firework going off to their right. Dolohov fell back into the muck.

"How many masks do you have?" the skirted Harry asked.

The twins shrugged. "Ten?" Bellatrix tripped over a time-turner table, falling into the brown soup. "Eleven."

"That leaves two," a Harry said, "that's how many I counted when they pointed their wands at me."

"Three," another Harry came in, panting. "I overheard Lucius saying Pettigrew wasn't supposed to be here."

At that moment, short-skirted Harry ran in, Avery following. The Harry stopped, stuck out its foot, tripping the death eater.

"I would say that's a nine. I think that's a record, Fred," George said.

"Eight-and-a-half. Remember, Rudolphus came in with a brain attached, tripped over a table, and face-planted," Fred said, writing down the score on a tablet.

"You're rating them?" another Harry asked, slamming the door behind them. A thud soon sounded. The Harry opened the door, dragged the body to the swamp, and threw them in like a frisbee.

"Ten," both twins shouted together, scribbling wildly on their pads.

"Anyone see Lucius?" a Harry asked.

At that point, the Polyjuice wore off. Everyone turned back into themselves, except for one Harry in a skirt. Draco's brow furrowed.

"Harry, I don't mean to question your personal lifestyle choices, but…"

"Hermione made me switch," Harry said.

Luna smirked. "Yes, I saw. Hermione came running over, grumbling about how she could have possibly overlooked gender-based uniforms, stripped, and started tearing Harry's pants off. At least Harry was chivalrous enough to try and stop her."

A hand clamped over Harry's mouth, pulling him toward a warm body.

"It's the end of the line, Potter," Lucius said, dragging him toward the door. He glanced over at Draco. "I told you that you would pay for making my son leave. Maybe I don't even have my lord kill you. I always wanted a pet Mudblood."

Draco raised his wand, his eyes blazing. "Let him go, Lucius." He looked around, hoping for backup, only to find that the twins could not see him due to all the smoke, Ron feinted, Ginny was holding Ron up, and Luna, Neville, and Hermione were all picking themselves up after a fairly bad pyro-blast.

"You really think I'm afraid of you, child? Shall we forget who beat whom? Who crucio'd you until you blacked out?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy."

"You truly refuse your name?"

Draco sneered. "I refuse anything to do with you. Sectumsempra."

The move seemed poetic, but the poor young blond forgot one thing—Harry. Within seconds, the boy-who-lived dropped, blood pouring out of several wounds along his abdomen.

"Harry!" Draco screamed, running toward his brother. Lucius grabbed him and wrangled him into a stranglehold.

"Not my cousin, you bastard." With that, Bellatrix shrank, kicking off her shoes and levitating out of the swamp. Bubblegum hair replaced black, and Tonks blast Lucius through the wall, sufficiently knocking him out. She then ran to the two boys, both slumped on top of each other. "Draco, Harry."

Draco moaned, squinting his eyes. "Dora?"

"Not now." She pushed the blond off his friend, checking Harry for signs of life. "Harry? Harry, can you hear me?" With no answer, she tore open his shirt and began healing the gashes. Not once did she look up at Draco. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, that was the problem," Draco said, watching the gang gather around.

"Is he going to be alright? He made it out last time, didn't he?" Neville asked.

"Nope, that was me."

"You were at the Department of Mysteries."

"No, Harry and I had a wand fight in the bathroom."

Tonks' head popped up, eyes widening. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, Dray. Does Mione know?"

Hermione rubbed her temples. "It wasn't like that, it…Tonks, shouldn't you be concentrating?"

"I'm done." Dora shrugged.

"You're surprisingly good with healing spells."

"Well, you fall enough, you learn to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and close your own scrapes."

"Oh, cool," Hermione glanced around. "I feel this should go without saying, but what are you doing here?"

"Sirius didn't trust a bunch of teenagers to be alone without an adult."

"I'm sorry, Sirius, Sirius? Sirius didn't trust a bunch of teenagers to be alone without an adult?"

Tonks shrugged. "Said he knew from experience what unsupervised minors could get into."

"Well, if anyone would know, it would be him." Draco muttered.

Before anyone else could speak, the air chilled. A resounding pop echoed throughout the hall of time-turners. Voldemort appeared, resplendent as the noon day sun (don't tell him anyone said that, he would have crucio'd us).

"What happened here?" he asked, fire in his eyes. He surveyed the lot of his death eaters, teeth grinding. He turned and glared at Harry. "You."

He made a move toward the boy. Tonks jumped up, ready to fight.

"Expelliarmus."

"Protego," he said lazily. "Crucio." He hit his target, and Tonks fell to the floor screaming. She aimed her wand, trying to get a word out. "Stupefy." She was out.

In an instant, Harry found himself picked up and thrown into the next room. With so many fireworks and flames, no one could see what was happening. Voldemort stepped out of the whole in the wall, crucio'ing the boy.

"You took away my victory. You took away my power. You took away my chance at immortality." Voldemort advanced on the boy.

"You put way too much stock in my ability to make you miserable," Harry said, his voice dry and rough. He slowly picked himself up, grunting.

"Crucio."

"You really only have one tool in your toolbelt, don't ya, big guy?" Harry coughed out, trying to soothe his throat after the last bout of screaming. He glanced behind Voldemort to see a young redhead in too short a skirt sneak in through the hole in the wall. She put a finger to her lips.

"You want to see what I am capable of?" Voldemort asked, his voice rising.

"I'd like to see you know your spells. Expelliarmus."

"It looks like the pot is calling the kettle black, Potter."

"Is that a normal wizard saying?" Harry smirked. He nodded, and Ginny jumped onto the Dark Lord's back with all the power and authority of a first year Harry with a troll. "Is that a new tool or what?"

Ginny's smile dropped. "Are you calling me a tool?"

"Ginny, not the time."

Voldemort twisted, flinging the young girl across the room. She landed with a thud, rolling next to Harry.

"I have had enough of this. I am done playing games with children," Voldemort said, raising his wand once more. "Avada Kedavra."

The green light beckoned, and Harry wondered if Jay Gatsby ever felt the same way. He could almost touch it, and he knew that that light meant home: a mother, a father, a family.

"No." A girlish scream reverberated through the hall. A long swash of red hair blocked his sight, and he felt a heavy weight drop on him.

"Stop. Aurors Put your wand down," came a masculine voice through the hole. Harry heard a pop. He knew Voldemort was gone. "Anyone there?"

"Help us," said Harry, trying to move under the young girl. The weight lifted, and the aurors gently put Ginny on the ground next to him. He shook her. "Ginny? Ginny, wake up."

"Step back, Mr. Potter," an auror said, physically pulling the boy away from the body.

Dora rushed in, followed by Draco and Hermione. "Where is he? Harry, what happened?"

"Ginny," he gasped, "Voldemort. Troll. Jump. Flung. Avada Kedavra."

"Wait." Dora jumped up, glancing all around. "Troll? Where?"

"I think it was in a figurative sense," Hermione said. She moved toward the younger girl. "Is, is she?"

An auror turned and nodded his head before eyeing his superior, Shacklebolt. Kingsley closed his eyes, rubbing his face. Ron came running in.

"Hey, guys, there's a whole slew of aurors here. How did they know…?" He stopped, glancing down at the huddle. "What, what's going on?"

Everyone averted their eyes. No one wanted to deal with this. Ron ran over to his sister, no one trying to stop him.

"Ron, I'm…"

Ron shook his head. "No." He turned, facing Harry. "You don't get to say you're sorry. You go around all day, so big and proud, thinking you're the next best thing. You escape every year, not a single scratch, no loss. Now, Potter, there's a price."

"I never said the war would be without cost…"

"My sister shouldn't have had to pay it." Ron lunged, stopped moments before reaching Harry by shaking hands.

"Ron, stop," Fred said, using all his might to keep the boy still. "It was Ginny's choice. Ginny's choice."

Dora jumped up. "I think it's time to take them back to Hogwarts."

"No," Kingsley said, grabbing her arm. "We need their statements first."

They herded the eight students into the atrium, heading toward the auror department.

Neville turned to Draco. "How'd the aurors get here so fast?"

"You don't think fireworks and flames shooting out of the Department of Mysteries would raise a few red flags?" Luna asked, voice low.

"It didn't last time," Draco said, his voice matching hers. "You don't think we had a back-up plan."

In Severus' living room, Sirius laid back in a cozy chair, holding a giant, plastic block with a wire coming out one end. He poured a nice glass of Lambrusco, popped in a piece of brie cheese and dialed 62442. He listened as the other end rang, bopping his head to an imaginary tune.

"Hello, Department of Magic, muggle division," a voice on the other line answered.

"Uhm, yes." Sirius took a swig of wine. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to report a Sirius Black sighting. I swear I saw him walking down the hall heading toward the Department of Mysteries. He was mumbling something about a death star, light sabers, a time turner, and J.K. Rowling. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds…serious."

"Oh, well, thank you, Mr…"

"Skywalker."

"Yes, Mr. Skywalker. We will get right on that."

Sirius hung up the phone and took another bite of brie cheese. He was about to take another swig of wine when…

"Sirius?"

The man turned, spilling a drop of wine. Severus stood there, brow furrowed.

"Yes, Sevvy?"

"What was that I overheard?"

"Oh, that? That was just a plan to overthrow Voldyshorts."

"And what does it have to do with Star Wars?"

"What's Star Wars?"


	63. Telling the Truth

Telling Severus the Truth

Harry surveyed the ragtag team as they marched up the hill to Hogwarts. The crew thinned considerably. There was not a redhead to be seen. What could he have done? Could he have done anything? Would she still be alive if he had told her to go back? Would they all be mourning him? Would that have been better?

"Oof! Harry, what's the big idea…" Draco trailed off as he looked into the face of his godfather, a sinking feeling hitting his stomach. They had arrived at the entryway, and Professor Snape stood there, waiting for them.

"My office, now." Severus growled. Right as he turned to go, Dragon came prancing up to them, tongue lolling to one side, eyes shining with glee. Severus scowled at the grim and Dragon had the decency to look cowed. He obediently fell in line behind the dark man.

As the three time travelers walked toward Severus' office, they began to whisper to one another.

"I…I think we should tell him," Harry said. Draco looked back at Harry.

"You're sure?"

Harry nodded. "He's proved himself." He was about to say more when they arrived at Severus' office. They each entered and Severus closed the door behind them. Severus shot Harry a grimace. He shut up.

"What…in the world…gave you…the inane idea…to go to the MINISTRY…in the DEAD of night…KNOWING the Dark Lord would be there?" Severus asked, enunciating clearly and in a dangerously calm tone.

"We-we knew it was a trap, so-so we went and turned the tables on-on them," Harry said.

"We-we thought we knew what would happen, sir, so we planned. We never thought we were in danger," Hermione said, eyes transfixed on the floorboards.

"At least, this time around."

Hermione gave a start and turned to Harry. Oops, he had forgotten to tell her the plan. He gave her an apologetic look and went back to the task at hand. Dragon also seemed to know what he was doing, and popped back into Sirius. He knew that Severus might need a little bit more convincing than he did, and he thought he might be able to give some corroborating evidence. He figured, by this point, either they were time travelers, or the best seers in the history of the world.

"What do you mean this time around?" Severus asked slowly, holding back his temper as much as he could. He would hear the boy out before giving him the riot act.

"What I mean is, we did this before. This life, we lived before."

Severus waited a beat. Surely this was a joke. Surely, Black put them up to this. He waited. He looked around. He looked at Black. Oh no, that was a bad idea. He could always tell when Black was joking. He chalked it up to survival instinct. Black was not joking.

"You mean to say, you time traveled recently?" Severus asked. Something must have gone horribly wrong, more horrible than someone dying. They must have gone back in time a few hours to fix whatever stupid thing they had done. He would deal with the illegal possession of a time turner and be done with it.

"Well, Uncle Severus, not recently," Draco said uneasily. He looked Severus in the eye, willing him to believe it. Severus, to his credit, hadn't threatened to call a mind-healer.

Severus opened his mouth. Then, he closed it. He opened it again, and closed it quickly. Harry couldn't believe it. The unflappable Severus Snape was speechless. Finally, the older man sat down in his chair. He closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands, his elbows propped up on his desk.

"How long ago?" He finally asked. Hermione approached his desk.

"Before first year," she said, voice low.

"When did you come from?" He looked up, waiting for them to answer him. Oh, he could believe it. Draco had seemed so changed his first year. He was nothing like he had been when he was ten, and Severus could never place a finger on why. He also could never explain why Harry kept trying to build a relationship with him when he kept pushing the boy away.

"We-we died the end of seventh year," Harry said.

"Technically, all of the wizarding world died the end of seventh year." Hermione added.

"What happened?" Severus asked.

"Voldemort killed me."

"How did you come back?"

"Fate and Time gave us another chance."

"Why?"

"The three of us were meant to be friends. We weren't. They gave us a chance to live life like we should have done the first time."

"What _exactly_ happened?" Severus asked.

"Well, we can tell you up to this point, but we don't make it a practice of telling all of it. Even Sirius doesn't know what happens next," Hermione said.

Severus' eyes flashed. "You don't make it a practice of telling adults what happened last time?"

"We're using the term adult a bit loosely, aren't we?"

Both stared at Black. "That being said, you don't believe you were wrong in that practice?"

"No. Fate and time said…"

"I don't care if they came here right now and told you to do the Macarena."

"What's the Macarena?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

Severus closed his eyes. "I don't have the patience for this." He walked around his desk, standing straight in front of the three young wizards. "A girl died tonight. If you had told me what happened last time—Merlin, if you had just told me you were going to do it this time—I could have helped. I could have kept you safe…"

"Tonks was there," Draco said, looking up at his godfather through a tuft of hair.

"Look who's using the term 'adult' loosely now." Severus took a deep breath. "A young girl died because the three of you did what you seem to do best: go off half-cocked doing whatever you want, never considering the fact that consequences do come."

Hermione stamped her foot. "That's not fair. We thought things through…"

"Then why are the Weasleys currently having to plan their youngest child's funeral?" All three children winced. "You want to think of yourselves as adults?"

"We died when we all were of majority."

"Fair enough. The three of you are adults. The twins are adults. You all can make your own choices, live with your own consequences." Severus raised his wand and a picture of a young, redheaded girl appeared in front of them. "Ginny Weasley was no more than fourteen. She hadn't even taken her O.W.L.s yet. She was your responsibility to keep safe."

Hermione looked up, eyes flaming. "We didn't tell her she had to come."

"Harry Potter was going to be there. You could have asked her to take the ring to Mordor and she would have complied. You could have asked her to help you destroy the Death Star and she would have complied. You could have invited her to Jurassic Park and she would have complied. All you would have had to say was that Harry Potter would be there."

"Doesn't that speak more to her obvious mental issues?" Draco asked, head cocked.

"Did she deserve to die?" Silence. "Exactly. I'm done with being in the dark. No more. This ends now. You will tell me everything. We will work together to make sure that what happened tonight, does not happen again."

"You can't promise that it won't," Hermione said, her voice rising.

"You will explain to me exactly what happened. I cannot protect you if I do not know what will happen. I made a promise to…." Severus started.

"Protect me, I know," Harry said, finally looking into Severus' eyes. Severus' eyebrows raised. "Something I found out near the end, last time."

Severus nodded. Harry, Draco, and Hermione shared a look between them. Should they?

" _Fine_ , but if Fate and Time get angry, it wasn't my idea and I disagreed with it," Hermione said, crossing her arms. Draco and Harry nodded as they gestured for the two men to sit down.

"Where should we begin?" Draco asked Harry.

"Madame Malkins?"

Draco nodded. "So, the first time around, I was a brat and offended Harry. I didn't know who he was until we got to the train. I rudely told him off before offering my hand in friendship. He turned me down. We were enemies ever since that day."

"You two, enemies?" Sirius asked, shocked. Draco and Harry both smirked.

"Yep, I hated his guts. Told him I could figure out the right sort of people for myself, thank you very much," Harry said, wrapping an arms around the blond's shoulders.

"He really was a brat the first time. Loved the "m" word too much, as well." Hermione added. Severus quirked a brow, looking at Draco.

"Yep, believe it or not, I was Daddy's little shadow. Wanted to be just like him. I was an idiot, but hey…I was young and naïve."

"Anyway, Ron Weasley, Hermione, and I were the Golden Trio. Draco was a Slytherin. He was the one who took Neville's Remembrall and he inadvertently led to my addition to the Gryffindor team."

"We spent a whole year figuring out about Fluffy, the Philosopher's Stone, and Quirrell." Hermione continued.

"The rest stayed pretty much the same. We got the stone, Gryffindor won the house cup, we went home. I never knew you were my mom's friend back in the day, Severus. You hated me, and by the end of that year, we were sure _you_ were the one after the Stone."

"The next year, basically everything happened like second year this time around. Well, except for the fact that Harry didn't fly in Mr. Weasley's car with Ron." Hermione added.

"Nor did Ron end up eating slugs," Draco said with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"And, we didn't sneak into your stores, steal some bloomslang skin, and brew Polyjuice in the abandoned girls' bathroom. To which, I think Hermione is eternally grateful, because she did not spend her Christmas holiday in the hospital wing as a catgirl." Harry teased. Severus now had his head in his hands.

"And third year?" Severus asked, in a way not wanting to know what happened.

"Well, I didn't know Sirius was innocent…" Harry started.

"So, no Dragon. Harry snuck around the school in his invisibility cloak a lot and Fred and George gave Harry the Marauder's Map." Hermione continued.

"He has a bad reaction to dementors, as you know. So, I spent most of my third year dressing up as a dementor to scare the living daylights out of him." Draco chuckled. Sirius couldn't help but smirk.

"Buckbeak lived, but that was the only difference there." Hermione finished.

"Fourth year, Ron and his family took me to the Quidditch match. Deatheaters showed up. We came here. My name was put in the Goblet of Fire by the Moody impostor. Everything happened like it did this past time, except Cedric Diggory died last time." Harry said sadly.

"It tore Harry up. That's when he started getting nightmares. It's also when his visions started." Hermione explained.

"That's when you went back to spying, Severus. Though, we didn't know it." Harry continued. "Fifth year, Fletcher was on Harry Watch when the dementors attacked. I stayed at my aunt and uncle's a few more days. The Order came and helped me out of there. Stayed with Sirius for the next few weeks. Dumbledore defended me in the trial. I went back to school. Continued having visions and had to deal with Umbridge. Severus and I did not have as good a relationship, so when Dumbledore forced the two of us to work on Occlumency, it didn't end well." Harry stopped. He got uncomfortable. Severus looked up from his pensive stance.

"Continue." Severus ordered. Harry looked uneasy.

"It's just, I looked in your pensieve, which I am sorry about, by the way. I saw a very personal memory that involved the end of a defense O.W.L. and a certain group of boys, and my mother, sir," Harry said cryptically. Severus paled substantially. He nodded in understanding. Sirius did as well. "I-I didn't take it well. Seeing my father treat anyone that way, made me sick. I thought about it for days. I couldn't get it out of my mind. I-I had to talk to you, Sirius. I had to know why. I snuck into Umbridge's office and flooed you. Remus was there, too. I-I got mad at you. I said some things I regret…" Harry stopped. He took a shaky breath. "The next time I saw you, you died. The last thing I said to you was not kind." Sirius looked stunned. He jumped up and quickly had Harry in his arms. They hugged for quite some time.

When they finally released, Harry took another moment to compose himself.

"Severus, I couldn't Occlude my mind. So, during my History of Magic final, Riddle sent me a vision of Sirius at the Ministry, in mortal peril. I ran to check on him, and Kreacher lied to me. Umbridge came in, she caught me red handed. She called you in for some Veritaserum. You gave her a fake, of course. I warned you about Padfoot. I didn't believe that you were really with us, though. So, I went with Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, and Ginny to the Ministry. We figured out too late that it was a trap. Sirius came with the Order to help us-as you went and told them what I told you-and Bellatrix killed Sirius." Harry explained.

"Why did you even go tonight? Black was right here?"

"He showed Remus this time."

Hermione and Draco stared at each other before looking at Harry. "You didn't tell us that."

"Besides, we had already planned this weeks in advance," Sirius said.

"We thought we could use it to our advantage. A lot of death eaters were captured that night."

"Father was captured during the battle." Draco added in. "Led me to hate Potter even more." The blond sneered.

"We were so careful, Uncle Sev. This time, we took the prophecy beforehand. They never could have gotten it." Sirius pulled the real prophecy out of his pocket, tossing it in the air. "We also made sure Sirius stayed here."

"I see that, but," Severus turned to Sirius, "Black, toss that thing one more time and I will break you." Sirius set the prophecy down on the desk.

"Sirius was to call the aurors as soon as we reached the hall of prophecies."

"How would he know?"

Hermione held up the galleon. "The same way we let every DA member know about meetings."

Harry shook his head. "Ginny and Ron were decoys only. They should have been out of there once all the death eaters entered the time-turner room."

"Why didn't they?"

"Lucius Malfoy appeared. He took me."

"I tried saving him," Draco said.

Hermione slapped his head. "Yeah, by using Sectumsempra."

"What?" Severus asked, eyes widening. "How do you even know that spell?"

"I somehow ended up with the "Half-Blood Prince's" sixth grade potions book." Harry said knowingly. Severus perked up at that. "Slughorn was our Potions professor. You taught defense." Harry had to keep back a chuckle. Then, he grew grim. "I didn't know what _Sectumsempra_ did…" Severus groaned.

"What did you do?" Severus bit, his teeth grinding. It was just like a Gryffindor to act first and think after. Harry and Draco looked at each other.

"Well, we were enemies. It said 'for enemies'. You put the pieces together." Harry joked. Severus closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He counted to ten. He counted to ten, again. "If it helps, you were furious and I got a lot of detention and missed my final Quidditch match."

"Draconus, why would you use that spell when Harry was in its path?"

"I wasn't thinking. All I could do was grab the first spell that came to mind—the one I knew was for enemies."

"Dora showed up," Harry said, taking control of the conversation again.

"Nymphadora, I'm assuming," Severus said, getting up and pouring a glass of wine. He took a look at the bottle, then the group of kids, then Black. He downed the glass of wine and was about to pour another, when he set the glass down and took the whole bottle back to his desk. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but why wasn't she in the plan originally?"

"She was. My plan included her. Why do you think she was there?" Sirius asked.

"How is it Black thought through this more than the three of you?" Severus asked before taking a long drink from the bottle.

"Sirius was our backup plan," Hermione argued.

"When is Black ever a good Plan B?"

Black chuckled. "Well, it's either Plan B or Plan S."

"More like Plan B.S.," Severus said under his breath. He turned back to his students. "Look, I appreciate that this has been hard on you. I appreciate the fact that you made an effort to stop a death. I can even appreciate the fact that you took down several death eaters…"

"Fourteen," Draco said. "All within Voldemort's inner circle."

"Thirteen," Hermione corrected. She turned to her boyfriend. "You have to remember Bellatrix was really Tonks."

"You really think Bellatrix forgot about her boyfriend's assignment for her?"

"No, but I do believe Tonks forgot to tie Bellatrix up."

"You have so little faith in her?"

"No, I overheard Pettigrew moaning about how he should have come in the first place, since he found a beat up Bellatrix crawling toward Malfoy Manor as he slipped away."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Hardly the point. You did all this, but there was a cost. Sadly, the young Weasley girl had to pay it."

"You really won't let this go, will you?" Draco asked. Severus glared. "Continue."

"Now, I can deduce what happened from there in this timeline, mostly because the aurors arrived shortly before with a well-detailed report, demanding answers from the current headmistress about her control of Hogwarts students." He turned to Sirius. "I must admit, it was amusing to watch her try and explain that away." He faced his students again. "However, I want to know what happened in the previous time line."

"It was only then Dumbledore told me about the prophecy. He used my complete hopelessness to aid in his desire to see me die," Harry said, a scowl plastered on his face. Sirius and Severus both looked shocked.

"Harry, don't say that about the headmaster! Dumbledore is a good man!" Sirius said. The three time travelers glared at him.

"A good man? How did he not at least demand a trial? He's willing to overlook you nearly killing Severus in that little werewolf stunt, but he doesn't ask for proof of you betraying your closest friend? And you told us he knew about the switch in secret keepers. He allowed an innocent man to go to Azkaban?" Hermione argued.

Harry looked down at the floor for a moment, calculating. Finally, he decided to lay all his cards on the table.

"Do either of you know about Horcruxes?" Harry asked. They both paled and their eyes grew wide. Harry took that as a yes. "Riddle made seven of them." He took a deep breath. Could he really say it? There was a long pause.

"What about them, Harry?" Severus asked, awaiting a response.

"I'm one of them." Harry confessed. Both men sucked in their breath. "Dumbledore knows. Severus, when you died, during the last battle, you gave me your memories. This year, Dumbledore is going to go after one of the horcruxes and become mortally wounded. In preparing for his death, he told you about me." Harry paused. "It's how I knew I needed a better relationship with you. You hated me and you were incensed that Dumbledore-how did you put it-'raised me like a lamb for the slaughter'?" He stopped and let what he had said sink in.

Finally, Sirius jumped from his spot and stomped toward Severus' door. Severus quickly uttered a locking charm on it. Sirius tried the door to find it wouldn't open. He spun back around to Severus.

"Open the door, Snape," Sirius demanded dangerously.

"No, Black, I will not have you ruin our tactical advantage by going all Gryffindor and confronting the headmaster." Severus argued calmly. "We must be Slytherin about this. Do I want to go and tear Dumbledore limb from limb before slicing him open? Of course, but I will not and neither will you. We will find a way to rid Harry of this disgusting piece of dark magic without bringing the headmaster into this." Sirius huffed.

"Fine, but next year, I say we pull an Umbridge on the headmaster." Sirius decided. Severus smirked.

"Of course, as long as it cannot be traced to us." Severus agreed. The two nodded.

"Sixth year, the Dark Lord marked me and tasked me with killing Dumbledore. Mother went to you and made you take an Unbreakable Vow to help me and even do it for me if I couldn't. Long story short, I couldn't and you ended up killing Dumbledore, if that makes you feel better."

Severus rubbed his temples with his hands. "It doesn't, but continue."

"Anyway, I completed the first portion of my task and got a bunch of death eaters into Hogwarts." Draco continued. "You killed Dumbledore."

"And then seventh year, we spent our time on the camping trip from Hell," Hermione said. She turned to Harry. "We are not doing that again."

"Why would we? We know exactly where the horcruxes are. By the way, Sirius, could you call Kreacher here and ask him to bring the locket Regulus told him to destroy? We can do that now, with the help of a certain basilisk fang found in the Chamber of Secrets." Harry suggested. Sirius nodded. He would do just that after they finished what they were talking about.

"You were killed during the final battle. Nagini attacked you on Riddle's orders." Hermione described. Severus paled considerably.

"We all died, and that's about our life story." Draco joked.

Severus put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes a few times.

"Okay, I think we've all had a long, trying day. Let's get these youngsters up to bed, Severus, and then we should probably do the same. We can think about what to do tomorrow." Sirius suggested.

Severus looked up at the man he was starting to call friend. He nodded his head once. Sirius repeated the motion and started herding his little "ducklings" toward the door, which Severus had now unlocked.

Sirius led the three young Gryffindors down the corridor as Dragon. As he pranced alongside his godson, he began thinking how different this time would be. Yes, he nodded his head resolutely, this time would be different.


	64. Bringing Harry Home

A/N: Hey all. I feel like we are always apologizing for our sporadic updates. While one of us is unemployed during the summer, the other is working at a retreat center in activities. The way we write requires both of us to be together at the same time, which rarely happens. In other news, I-NoHinny-am starting another fanfiction that will be posted eventually. I currently am working towards revising a novel I'm writing, as well as revving up to start teaching again. However, this new fanfiction is something I'm really enjoying, and I hope to bring it to you, as well. I warn you, marauderfascination is where most of my humor comes from when we write (shout-out to all the INTJs. Our humor is as dark as our souls ;)). Anyway, keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue toward the goal set before us (which at this point, is our dad's ground-breaking for a new social services building!).

Bringing Harry Home

Harry sat on the side of his bed, bursting with excitement. Earlier that day, he received a letter from one of his godfathers. He smiled as he reread the letter.

 _Prongslet,_

 _Spots first wanted to know how you were. Yes, he is Spots now. He categorically refused to allow me to use his name. He said it might compromise his position. So, Spots and I have both been wondering how you are. I hope you are well, but I'll know soon because I am coming! Yes, pack your things, because I'm taking you to Potter Manor. Be ready by noon on the Thirtieth. Spots and I plan to have you here for your birthday. So, be prepared. See you soon! Spots sends his love and I do, too._

 _Sincerely, Dragon_.

Harry smiled. He had a good idea who Spots was, but he wanted to hear the story behind the interesting name. He was pretty sure "Spots" was not glad to be called Spots. He was even more interested to know that Spots and Padfoot were together.

At that moment, he heard a commotion downstairs. He grabbed his things and ran down to where he assumed his godfather was waiting for him impatiently. Sirius stood next to the stairs, seething.

"It's true! You kept him under the stairs! My _godson_ under the _stairs_ ," Sirius yelled.

Harry smirked. "Nice to see you, too, Sirius."

Sirius turned to face him. "Prongslet!"

Harry smiled and hugged his godfather. "Padfoot! How are you?" He moved toward the door. The quicker he got them out of Privet Drive, the sooner he got to go see Severus, as well.

"I will be better once I know Tuney is sorry for the way she treated you."

Harry sighed and grabbed his trunk. "Come on, Sirius. They're not worth it. I want to go see Spots."

Sirius smirked. "Anything for you, Prongslet." He gave one more menacing look and flicked his wand. A spell fell over the house, and he slammed the door as they left. Harry quirked his brow. "I sort of promised Spots I'd do that."

Harry smiled. "So, Spots? Does he know you're calling him that?"

Sirius laughed and directed Harry toward a dark alleyway. "Yes, he knows. He's grudgingly accepted that he is now a part of the Marauders."

"Why Spots?"

"He's sneaky, like a leopard. We think that's what he'd be if he were an animagus. He also adamantly refused to be called slythy, or any other slytherin or snake related names I came up with. So, I took to calling him Spots. Got hexed the first couple times, but then he reluctantly agreed to go along with it, as long as we promised to never call him that in public."

Harry sighed. "You're going to call him that in public, aren't you?"

"As soon as Tom Riddle is dead and buried. I figure that for now, it's a good way to keep You-Know-Who from realizing one of his men is actually on the other side," Sirius said with a grin.

Harry shook his head. "Padfoot, just be careful. I don't want my two godfathers constantly fighting all the time."

"So, interesting thing happened the other day." Sirius started. He looked around the alley they were in. "But I'll tell you on the walk to Potter Manor. Due to the Fidelius Charm, we have to walk there to find it the first time."

Harry nodded. Sirius _apparated_ both of them to a field covered in flowers. The flowers were of varying colors and types. They flowed through the prairie-like moor. Harry smiled.

"I live somewhere near here?" He asked Sirius. The animagus nodded.

"Anyway, interesting story, actually. Dumbledore flooed me a couple days ago at Grimmauld. I just so happened to be packing up the rest of my things and searching for the stupid Horcrux you told me about. Seems Dung already filched it. Beside the point. Dumbledore flooed and asked _me_ to be the DADA professor for this upcoming year."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Padfoot, you didn't say yes, did you? You know that position is cursed. Dumbledore is trying to get rid of you!"

Sirius smiled. "That would be the case, if Spots had not looked further into the curse." Sirius looked around as if trying to catch someone spying on them. "If one of them is in possession of a horcrux, the position accepts them as Tom Riddle. It will let me continue on in the position so long as I have a horcrux."

Harry blanched. "Sirius, horcruxes change your personality. If you were in possession of one, it would take over you."

"Well, I'm in possession of you, and you haven't taken me over yet," Sirius teased.

"Wait, what?" Harry asked, a slight scowl forming. Sirius smiled.

"Because I am your godfather, I am in-for lack of a better term-possession of you. Since you are a horcrux, I am technically in possession of a Horcrux. Spots and I theorize that so long as you remain a Horcrux when I sign for my second-year of teaching, I will remain untouched by the curse."

"That's brilliant!" Harry whooped. His smile fell. "But, what about Severus and Slughorn? Why wouldn't Dumbledore want Slughorn at Hogwarts? He's needed, isn't he?"

Sirius laughed. He slung an arm around Harry's shoulders and squeezed. "Oh, Spots circumvented that. He adamantly refused to take the position, claiming it a suicide mission. He, however, did argue for a second potions master. You know how hard scheduling is for Minnie when potions requires a double period and Sev only has so much time in a week? Plus, each grade has two classes, and right now, he has to have all his NEWT students in one class. It just doesn't fit."

"Even more brilliant. That means maybe we won't have such a dour potions master."

"It certainly is. Maybe Spots can finally have a social life. Now, listen closely. Potter Manor is at 11 Rose Lane," Sirius said.

Harry watched as a humungous mansion came into view. His jaw dropped as he noted the pond, the Quidditch field, and the swimming pool in the back of the house. "Welcome to Potter Manor, Harry, your ancestral home."

"Amazing," Harry said softly. Before he could even move, he saw a shock of blond hair rushing toward him.

"Hey, mate! How have you been? Enjoy your stint at the Dursleys?" Draco asked him as they greeted each other. They "manly" hugged for a few seconds before Harry stepped back and took in the sight of his god-brother.

"I must admit, Dragon, being away from your family suits you." Harry teased. He slung an arm around his friend's shoulders in much the same way his godfather just had.

"They are not my family." He slung his arm over Harry's. "You are."

Harry smiled and they walked into Potter Manor together.

As they entered, Harry was met by a bushy-haired force wrapping itself around his middle.

"It's good to see you too, Mione." Harry said, laughing heartily. A husky cough echoed through the entryway. "Hello to you, too, Severus." Harry said, giving his godfather a hug. "Is Neville here, too? Where's Luna?"

"I trust you are well." Harry smiled. "Good, because I must impress upon the four of you the seriousness of your actions at the Ministry of Magic," Severus began. All three students groaned. "There is no way you could have known-even as time travelers-how you could handle a fight between numerous Death Eaters, let alone the Dark Lord. As punishment, each of you is grounded for a week. I will have chores set out according to need, ability, and degrees of responsibility for the crime."

"You never answered my question: where's Luna?"

"That _is_ answering your question. That was her punishment. It is extremely hard to find a disciplinary action for Miss Lovegood."

"Yeah," Sirius said, "we had a thirty-minute conversation on her alone." He smiled. "It took Remus coming in to finally figure it out. It was his idea."

"Harry, you seem to be the least responsible for this girl's death."

"What?" all asked in unison.

"Yes," Severus said, rubbing his eyes. "While you are the center reason why it happened, you were the least executive function of said scheme. Your only fault is not recognizing the dangers of the plan, for which I can hold you no more responsible than the adult in the room." He pointedly glared at Sirius.

"But…" Hermione started.

"You, young lady, seem to mistake intelligence for omniscience. While it was not your idea to have the younger Weasleys as decoys, it was your idea to bring a bunch of young wizards to the D.O.M. using an illegally brewed potion to trick death eaters into chasing them. As such, you created an environment of chaos with no real containment solution."

Draco's eyes popped. "What about…?"

"You, Draco, are the worst, for you not only recommended the youngest Weasleys, but also foresaw their possible demise—joked about it—and brought them anyway." The potions master sighed. "Harry, you will spend the week with me preparing potions ingredients and brewing potions. During this time, you will be my intern."

"Hey, that doesn't sound like a punishment."

"Draco," Hermione said with a sigh, "intern is just a muggle term for house elf."

"Disgusting."

"Miss Granger, you will spend your days in the gardens weeding. You will not have access to the Potter libraries to then research said plants."

Harry's eyes widened. "How is that punishment?"

"Oh, Prongslet," Sirius muttered, shaking his head.

"Finally, Draco. You will be writing an essay—" Hermione squawked. "Miss Granger, listen up. You will be writing an essay on the value of an individual life—regardless of any consequential differences in beliefs, thoughts, or personal values or accidental features. You must include research from the Potter library, along with at least ten cross-referenced sources from the muggle library down the road, which you will walk to." Severus smirked. "Which brings me to my last punishment. Somehow, you have unregulated use of your wands during the summer. They will stay in my office until I leave for Hogwarts."

"Come on, Spots. Don't be so hard on them. They had already done it once before. They knew what they were going into." Sirius defended. Severus glared at Sirius.

"Black, that is exactly why they should have told an adult what was going on."

Harry interrupted, "But we are adults"

Severus ignored this. "They knew they were headed into a trap and they still willingly went. A child died."

"We agreed on grounding them, but no magic? One of them isn't even our responsibility."

"They are _my_ responsibility. They are _my_ students."

Sirius growled. "They're my students now, too."

"Yes, but I hold a lot more authority than you do, Black."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me by my surname?"

"Does it annoy you?"

"Yes."

"Then it is very unlikely. I think we are moving away from the original point." Severus redirected. "They are grounded for one week. That is not too long, and it will impress upon them the need to go to an _adult_ for help. By adult, I mean one who has _graduated_ Hogwarts, is that clear?" The three children nodded.

"I still never got my answer to the Neville question," Harry said.

"He's coming over tomorrow to celebrate your collective birthday."

Draco scowled. "Is he getting punished? He holds just as much responsibility as Luna."

"He's getting a new wand."

"What? How is that punishment?"

Hermione smiled. "That's good. He needed one."

"Still, punishment?"

"Why do you think he didn't get to come here until tomorrow?"

"Seriously?"

Severus turned, ignoring Draco. "Very well. Let us show Harry to his room, shall we?" He wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulders and guided him to his living quarters.


	65. Marauders in a Pub

A/N: Warning! Non-canon pairings ahead! Also, some jokes and scenes may be suggestive. Parents, we highly recommend guidance for those under the age of thirteen ;).

Marauders in a Pub

Severus walked out to the back yard. It was the final day of the grounding, and he had asked Harry to do some weeding. Draco had cleaned the bathrooms, or otherwise Severus would have had him helping. The dark man smirked. He was more than ready to give the students back their freedom. Three bored teens could drive any man up a wall. He appreciated the fact that out of the three, Harry had remained the quietest. He had done all his chores without complaint and had completed his summer homework quickly.

As Severus came upon the gardens, a curious sight caught his eye. Harry seemed to be facing down toward the ground, and it sounded like he was hissing. Severus rolled his eyes; of course, Harry found a snake to talk to. He really should tell the boy to stop conversing with snakes so often. It usually caused people to get a wrong impression of him. However, he was surprised to find not a snake in his godson's hand, but a worm.

"Harry," Severus started gently, concern written on his face. "What are you doing?"

Harry looked up from his conversation.

"Well, I was looking at the worms that kept popping up from the ground, and I realized they look a lot like snakes. Like tiny, baby snakes. I was curious, so I tried to test out my hypothesis like you taught us in class…" Harry paused.

Severus stared. "So, you thought that because worms look like snakes, you could talk to worms?" He thought for a moment. "Did it work?"

Harry shook his head. "Nope." He placed the worm back in the dirt and continued to pull weeds.

Severus turned right around and walked back into the manor. He found Sirius when he arrived.

"We need a break."

Sirius smirked. "I agree, but I never thought I'd hear you say it first." He paused. "What happened?"

"Your godson is trying to talk to worms."

"Yep, that would do it," Sirius said, chuckling. "How about tonight, we go to a muggle pub?"

"A muggle _pub_?"

Sirius nodded. "Sure, I thought you were okay with them now. It would be better for your position as a spy, and…"

"No, I'm fine with muggles," Severus clarified. "But a pub?"

"I spent twelve years in Azkaban and three years as a dog. Yes, I want to go to a pub and look at girls."

"Are you sure you aren't doing this to keep one certain girl at arm's length?" Remus asked, popping into the kitchen.

Severus perked up. "Where did you come from?"

The other two marauders ignored him. "I do not have a 'certain' girl. I have _many_ girls. That's my thing, don't you remember?"

Remus nodded. "Maybe because a certain girl was in diapers at the time." Sirius caught Remus in a headlock and began to give him a nugie.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I believe _both_ of your love interests were in diapers at the time."

Sirius laughed and let go of Remus.

Sirius huffed. "Hey, Dora wasn't in diapers."

"Sirius, stop trying to set me up with your twenty-three year old cousin."

Sirius laughed and pointed. "Ha, you admit it."

"I didn't admit to anything," he said, laughing, "other than the fact you want me to be related to you."

"Somehow, I ended up babysitting five teenagers rather than three." Severus mumbled, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"Moony, we're going to a pub."

"So, do you need me to watch the Golden Trio and Luna?" Remus asked as Hermione walked in.

"No, you're coming with."

Hermione dropped the cloth she was using to dust. "You're leaving us _alone_? Do you _realize_ what a bad idea that is? The last time we were left alone we spent nine months carrying around a horcrux." She paused. "Wait, that's a lie. Last time, a girl died."

"What were you doing with a horcrux? And how do you know what a horcrux is?" Remus asked, brow furrowed.

Severus sighed. "Now's not the time, Remus. Sirius, I must admit I am concerned leaving four teenagers alone in this house without adult supervision."

Draco came in upon hearing this. "Well, technically, only one teenager. The rest are all adults."

"Wait, what?" Remus screeched.

Sirius sighed. "Now's not the time, Moony."

Right then, Harry walked in.

"Hey, what going on?" He asked.

Hermione huffed. "Sirius wants to leave the four of us _alone_ while he takes Severus out to a pub and expects us to be okay with it."

"I definitely will not be okay with it." Harry turned to Sirius. "Why can't we come with?"

"None of you are of age," Sirius said.

Remus' brow furrowed. "Well, technically, in England—"

"Because we want one night away from four hormonal teenagers. That was the point!" Severus argued.

Draco butted in. "Again, only one teenager. Geesh, Uncle Sev, do you need to go back to primary school to learn to count?"

Severus glared.

"What in the world is going on?" Remus asked.

"Not now, Remus," they all chorused together.

Remus was taken aback. "Fine. I'll just get ready to go out, apparently." Remus huffed, walking over to the floo.

After Remus had left, Sirius turned to Severus.

"Well, now I feel bad."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Sure, _now_ you have the ability to feel guilt. Where was that when I was getting mauled by a werewolf?"

Sirius glared. "He never mauled you."

"Close enough."

That night found three men walking down the street and into a small local pub. The tallest wore a shabby, slightly patched coat with a threadbare sweater and jeans. The second tallest wore all black, from the black leather jacket to his black suede shoes. The shortest wore his brand new red leather jacket, with black leather pants and a black cotton shirt.

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this." Severus mumbled as they entered and sat down.

"Join the club," Remus said as they ordered drinks.

"Now, Spots, this is our first time out hunting together. I think it only right that us more experienced Marauders show you how it's done."

Severus sighed. "Why do I get the feeling one of us is going to get a drink thrown in their face?" He then turned to Sirius. "I know how to pick up women, Black."

"Really? If you're so experienced, why were you friendzoned for so long?" Sirius countered. Severus gulped down his _Bruichladdich X4 Quadrupled Whiskey_ and ordered another.

"That is a _completely_ different situation. That was a friendship built over years. This is picking out a woman, talking to her for five minutes, and trying to sneak her into a room for the night."

Remus looked surprised. "So, you've actually done this before?"

Severus shrugged. "I've done the first two steps many times. I just never saw the purpose of a one-night stand."

"Aw, Sevvie wants to be in love." Sirius teased.

Severus glared at him.

"There's nothing wrong with being in love, Sirius." Remus defended.

Sirius snorted. "Which is why you're here with us on a Friday night rather than out with a pretty little number I picked out for you myself."

"You mean your little cousin, who I used to help you babysit?" Remus asked.

Severus rolled his eyes. "If you two would stop fighting like an old married couple…"

Sirius and Remus turned to Severus. He got up from his seat and walked to the nearest table. He quickly snagged a napkin, dropped it in front of a girl, turned the other direction, and picked it up.

"I'm sorry, but did you happen to drop this?" Severus asked. The girl in question had long black hair tied in a braid with bright blue eyes that could reflect the moonlight. She was pale but had a smattering of freckles on nose.

The girl looked over and giggled. "I-I don't know, maybe. I tend to be pretty clumsy." She grabbed the napkin.

"I highly doubt that." He smirked. She giggled again. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

"I do believe I didn't give it," she replied smartly. "It's Alex, by the way."

"Alex? From Alexandra?" She nodded. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She smirked. "I don't believe I caught yours."

"I don't give it that often, I'll admit," Severus said, "but for you, I'd make an exception. The name is Severus."

There was silence for a moment, and he thought he might have lost her.

"Severus? As in, Severus Snape?" Alex gasped.

Severus' eyes widened. "You, you've heard of me?" Severus stumbled, trying to recollect any of his possible students who looked like the girl in front of him.

Alex scanned the room. "Do you mind if we talk privately? I have a room upstairs."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "But of course." He smirked.

As he was walking away, he looked back at Remus and Sirius, whose jaws were about to dislocate themselves, their eyes bugged out. It had been five minutes, and the first girl he walked up to, and he was walking out with her.

Once they were in a room to themselves, Severus turned back to Alex.

"So, how do you know me?" Severus asked.

Alex smiled. "The youngest potions master in over a century, really? Who wouldn't know you?"

"A bunch of muggles at a muggle bar." Severus mumbled. "What is a witch like yourself doing in a place like this?"

"Uh, I'm…I'm a squib. It makes more sense for me to be here than you. What is a famous wizard like yourself doing in this little hovel?"

"Trying to keep a low profile." Severus grumbled.

Alex smirked. "Guess finding a…a squib like me doesn't help with that, does it?"

Severus smirked. "It would seem so." Severus surveyed the room. "You must not mention to anyone that I was here."

"Don't want to get mobbed by your unruly fans?" Alex teased.

Severus sighed. "More like not wanting a death sentence from two very opposing masters."

Alex frowned. "That doesn't sound good at all." She placed a hand on his bicep.

"Unruly fans?" Severus asked.

Her eyes widened. "You're really strong for a potions master."

"Well, I'm a _potions_ master. Don't you have to carry your cauldrons around?"

Her cheeks reddened. "Don't you have spells for that?"

"I was raised as a muggle. Call it good old-fashioned work ethic."

She giggled. She sat down on the bed, grabbing his hand and pulling him to sit next to her.

Severus' brow furrowed. "Anyway, are you okay? Do you need some water?"

"No, I'm fine." She faced him, leaning on the bed. "Muggle-raised? Really? Does You-Know-Who know?"

"Wait, how did you know he was one of my masters?"

"Ugh, it's pretty obvious. It's well-known you were a spy for the order."

"I guess. He knows. Everyone technically knows. Snape is not really a magical name."

"No, but I always assumed because of the whole Slytherin thing-"

"How'd you know that?"

"Well, it is also pretty well-known you are the Slytherin head of house."

"Those unruly fans again?"

"Fine, I stalk you in my free time. I once had a plan to come visit you, but Dad said we didn't have enough bail money."

"Uhm," Severus swallowed a lump in his throat, "I'm flattered?"

"I'm sorry, I'm coming on a little too strong, aren't I?"

"You're what now?"

"You can't tell I'm flirting with you?"

"Oh, that's flirting?"

"Uh, yeah." She pushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I really am interested in you; have been for a while now."

"But you only just met me."

"Most famous potions master, Severus."

Severus' face grew warm. Her hand settled on his knee and she kissed his cheek.

What was going on? He turned to make eye contact, but their lips connected instead. His eyes widened, and he pulled away.

"Sorry," he said, eyes cast down. He saw her thigh straddle his legs, leaving her face-to-face with the dark man.

"Is this okay?" she asked, putting his head between her hands.

He nodded.

Sirius jabbed Remus in the stomach. "Did you see that?" Remus nodded. "Great, your turn."

Remus' eyes widened in horror. "Why me next?"

"It's been a long time since I flirted. What if they changed it?"

"And you don't think it's been a long time for me?"

"Come on, Moony. I can't be the only one to be pushing you out of your comfort zone."

"At this point, my out of my comfort zone is chaperoning four horny teenagers without anyone of them ending up pregnant."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Did we think that one through? I mean, they are all alone, with their significant others. Unless that's changed, too."

"Which would you bet: Hermione or Luna?"

"You think Luna would remember charms?" Sirius laughed.

"Yeah, and did you have the talk with Harry yet?"

"Oh, I have to do that?"

"Unless you want Draco to do it."

"What about my co-parent?"

"You think Severus is qualified enough to teach him? He just admitted to never having bedded a woman." Remus quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and I really hope Lily and Severus' relationship was PG."

Remus shook his head. "You need to speak with him."

"What is there to teach? It's pretty self-explanatory."

"Really? With Luna? They could end up doing something pretty strange."

"True, in that case, I'll hedge my bet on Hermione."

"Which is why you need to speak with Harry about charms." Remus took a sip of his scotch.

"You're trying to avoid our little conversation about you getting some."

"Fine, we find a pair of friends and talk them up. Together."

Sirius sighed. "Just like the old days." He finished off his margarita. "Let's go."

By the end of the night, Remus and his girl had snogged at least three times, and Sirius walked out of a coat closet looking very happy. He also went upstairs, hearing quite a few noises, and found a room with a key in the keyhole. Whoever was on the other side apparently didn't waste any time. Sirius locked the door with one swift motion of his wand, taking the key with him. Whoever was in that room deserved to get lucky more than once that night.

The next morning, Severus stretched. How strange, to have something warm at his side. Ah, yes. Last night. He rubbed his temples. Something about unruly fans? He glanced down and jumped out of his skin.

"Bellatrix?" He yelled, causing the curly haired witch to sit up suddenly, hair turning bright pink. He squinted. "Miss Tonks?"

"Really? After last night, it's still Miss Tonks?" the witch asked, covering herself with a sheet.

He blushed and hurriedly stuffed his shirt under his pants. "You…you tricked me."

"Well, you seem to have some moral principle against sleeping with your former students."

"An understandable one."

"Current students, yes. Former, why?"

"You're thirteen years younger than me," Severus said, his voice rising slightly.

"Unless you and Lily got busy real young, it's not like you could ever be my father."

"That's not the point."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, what is?"

He rushed toward the door. "It calls into question everything that happened while you were at Hogwarts."

"Oh, yes, that E you gave me that one time in potions."

"Good day, Miss Tonks," he said, trying the door. It wouldn't budge. He shook it. "Seriously, you locked me in here? I believe I could charge you, Miss Auror."

"What?" Dora's brow furrowed. "I didn't lock us in here. I used the key to unlock the door and…" her eyes widened, "left the key in the keyhole."

"Then, why are we locked in?"

Dora sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it's a ruse to make me spend more time with you?"

"Miss Tonks, I do not want to spend any more time with you than necessary at this point. Just unlock the door with your wand."

"Again with Miss Tonks, and why don't you do it, oh so high and mighty teacher?"

Severus blushed. "I asked you first."

"Well, for your information, I don't apparate drunk, so I leave my wand at home. Hence, the room. Now, what's your reason."

"Black made me take off my jacket, with my wand inside."

"Doesn't seem like a very Slytherin approach to things. Aren't you supposed to be ready at all times?"

"You're an auror."

"On her night off, at a muggle pub, incognito."

"Yeah, thanks for that, Alex."

"Well, it worked. What was I going to say?"

"I don't know. Severus, what a nice name. We chat about origin of names for five minutes for me to prove a point to your cousin and move on." Severus blanched. "Oh no, Black. He will definitely notice I didn't come home."

"You're living with Sirius?" Her eyes widened. "And both of you are still alive?"

"Yes, and he will be very disappointed you picked me over the wolf."

"Remus? He's old enough to have changed my diapers…"

"And I'm not?"

"I don't remember hearing about your tendencies towards children, Severus. In fact, if I remember correctly, you can barely stand eleven-year-olds."

"Well, do you know how to pick a lock?"

Dora scowled. "Yes, they teach that first thing in auror school, how to break in and enter a hotel room."

"Really? I would assume that's the first thing on the curriculum, along with having your wand with you at all times. I know that's the first thing they teach you at Hogwarts."

"Look who's talking. At least I thought through my reason. You only have my cousin to blame."

Severus looked through the keyhole. "Are you sure you don't have the key?"

Dora looked down and then around the room. "Would you like me to get up and look for it?"

"I'm just saying that there is no key in this keyhole. I can see the white wall on the opposite side of the hall."

"White? Really? What pub uses that color? It shows everything."

"Are you really questioning the color scheme of a pub?"

"Could the key have fallen out?"

"Could you actually have the key?"

She got up. "Does it look like I have it?"

"Miss Tonks."

"I'm getting dressed," she said, grabbing up her clothes.

"How could this possibly happen? Did some drunk decide it would be fun to lock two people in a room?"

"Sounds like something Sirius would do," she said, shrugging.

Severus eyes widened in anger. "Black!"

"You really think Sirius…Well, I guess you're right."

"Sirius, I will skin you alive, you good-for-nothing grim."

"Why are you two living together anyway?" Dora asked, lounging on the bed.

"I threaten to maim and torture your beloved cousin, and that's your question?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know you'd never actually do it. I mean, if you wanted to, you would have by now."

"How long do you assume we've been living together?"

"I'm just surprised he decided to swing that way. You, too, apparently."

"We are not living together for that reason. You figured that out last night."

"But, why are you two living together? He has more than one home, if for any reason he doesn't want to stay at Grimmauld. You have a home, I'm assuming, or a batcave. At the very least, you'd live at Hogwarts. Besides, I have access to all the Black home wards, and I haven't sensed any presence at any of them."

Severus' brow furrowed. "You do?"

"I'm a Black, technically. After Harry, I'm next in line to inherit."

"Why after Harry?"

"Sirius is in control of the Black estate, not me. Not that I want it. I mean, money's great, but I make enough as an auror. I'm not really concerned. Besides, Harry's a sweet kid who had a rough hand dealt to him. He deserves it."

Severus blinked. "That's very…noble…of you, Miss Tonks."

"Why do you care what Harry inherits, anyway? I thought you hate him." Severus opened his mouth. "Then again, I once snuck down and overheard your password. I guess if you had a crush on the boy's mother, then it would be hard to deny his charm."

"Miss Tonks…"

"But you hate him, or act like it. Your eyes never say it, though." She tapped her chin. "So, why would Severus Snape pretend to hate the boy-who-lived while secretly liking him? Obviously, it's because of your death eater position, but that's not keeping you with Sirius."

"Miss Tonks, it is not for you to figure out my life."

"Well, if it's anyone's job, it's mine now." She sighed. "Let's see. Sirius is Harry's godfather, and you care about Harry's well-being, but with your position as a spy, it is very dangerous to live with either of them. So, why would you need to live with Sirius?" Her eyes widened. "You have some sort of deal."

"What?" Severus' brow furrowed.

"Nope, not the case. You would've freaked out if I got it right. Okay, so, no deal with Dumbledore. Does he even know?" Severus stared unblinkingly. "Ah, so he doesn't. Okay, why would you live with Sirius and keep it from Dumbledore?" Her smile broadened. "Lily asked you to take care of Harry, and James asked Sirius to do the same."

"Miss Tonks…"

"No, that's it. You two are both Harry's guardians."

"And why must we figure that out now?"

She shrugged. "We have nothing else to do. Unless, you want to repeat last night." She flopped down on the bed. "I wasn't lying you know. I do like you."

An hour later, Sirius returned to the pub. Great, the boys hadn't seen Severus since last night. He rubbed his temples. What could have happened? A discreet firecall to Kreacher had him sure that no death eater meetings had been called. So, now he had to retrace his steps.

The last time he saw Severus, a young woman was taking him upstairs and…oh, oh no. The room. The only closed room. He ran upstairs, fumbling in his jacket pocket for the key. Wait, he's a wizard. He pulled out his wand, promising never to mention this to Severus or Draco. Hopefully, the man was still asleep, and no one would be the wiser. He spelled the door open, checking to make sure it would unlock.

Severus heard the door opening. His eyes widened as he lost contact with Dora's lips. She whimpered. He looked over to find a hungover Sirius Black.

"Black!" Severus threw the closest thing to him.

Sirius picked up the boxers. "What? You don't seem to mind."

"Sirius?" Dora asked.

"Nymphy?" He turned to Severus. "But you came up with a bru…oh, yeah."

"Black, out. Now."

"Oh, I'll let you finish." Severus threw a shoe. "By the way, you're giving Harry the talk now."


	66. Chapter 66

A/N: So, marauderfascination and I have not had a lot of time to write, as she went back to school and is still working (her first week of school, she worked 30 hours plus doing her school work...ended up sick and needed to take Labor Day off). Writing will become even less frequent; however, in celebration of my gaining a new job (a teaching one, yeah!), I thought you all might like to have a new chapter. Cheers!

"Black, you have known about your position now for over a month. You're telling me you haven't even planned your first week of lessons?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "No, I figured Moony'd do it for me."

"Why am I getting thrown under the bus?" Remus asked, taking a scone. "If you assumed that, you should have at least mentioned it. How would I know?"

"You seriously thought I had a plan?"

"No, I've known you for twenty-five years." Remus tossed a stack of seven binders on the coffee table. "I did have some hope, though."

Severus grabbed the top binder, scanning the first few pages. "What about defensive techniques?"

"In first year? I was hoping just to teach them how to hold a wand."

"Ensure you add a lesson on the importance of having a wand on you at all times."

Sirius guffawed. "Hey, it is a class about protection."

"Which you are teaching," Remus said, taking a sip of tea.

"Oh, right. Maybe leave that to Flitwick. It is charms, right?"

Snape smirked. "It hasn't changed that much since Azkaban, Black." He surveyed the next binder. "Why aren't they learning _protego_ , yet?"

"Do you expect a second year to need to use it? Or even be able to?"

"I'm expecting your students to know enough to make it through the O.W.L.s their fifth year. Besides, Black, Lupin's lessons will be useless to the upper years, as it assumes a certain level of background knowledge they don't have."

Remus' mouth dropped. "You haven't even gotten to my third year plans."

"I don't need to. I remember them well. While it is noble to spend a year on dark creatures, I do believe that is Hagrid's area of expertise."

"I wasn't the one teaching them about werewolves."

"No, you had to spend a whole unit on grindelows."

"Which helped Harry immensely. Besides, that was for second years."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "What was Harry doing in a second year class?"

"Harry was in my chambers. Never undervalue the importance of after-school tutoring."

Severus sighed. "We've gotten off-topic. Black, you have to write the lessons because you must take into account anti-Moody and the toad. This curriculum assumes Lupin as a stable teacher."

"Well, they did learn something anti-Moody's year, and I could ignore second years, because they all learned the basics with Umbridge."

"Not the basics of defense."

"Still, what second year needs to learn to defend themselves? Are you planning on sending twelve-year-olds out onto the battlefields?"

"No," Severus said, "but by Harry's second year, he had had an unforgivable thrown at him, defeated a DADA teacher with a Voldemort parasite, and taken out a basilisk, while destroying a horcrux."

Remus' eyes widened. "Horcrux? Seriously?"

"Not now, Moony," Sirius said with a wave, staring down at a fourth year lesson on shield spells. "Here's _protego_."`

"That said," Severus threw his latest binder back on the table, "these are inadequate for Black's teaching style."

"He has a teaching style?"

"Of course, I have style," Sirius smiled. "Though I have no idea what it has to do with teaching."

"This lesson plan includes assessments, no? You do mostly mixed tests, both written and practical. Do you see Black ever taking the time to create a project and then grade it?" Severus scowled. "On something other than how cool it looks or whether or not the student is his godson."

Remus shrugged. "I already have the rubrics. He just has to copy them."

"And what about individualization. You can't possibly assume to know all the students he's going to have, nor their individual tastes."

"Fine. What do you suggest we do? Because if we leave him alone, he's not going to do anything about it."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Obviously. We need to sit down with him and show him a basic lesson plan format. Then, he should be able to input data and make decisions based off the newest O.W.L. scores."

"Or, we need to sit down with him and help him through everything."

Sirius scowled. "How could teaching possibly be this much work? I just show them how to wave a wand and let them go and practice."

"No!" Both teachers shouted in unison.

"Maybe he should sit in on one of your lessons, Severus."

"I've been sitting in on his lessons for the last three years, not to mention the seven years of schooling I got before that."

"Black, what are you going to do when a Slytherin sends a hex at an unsuspecting Gryffindor? At least with a Hufflepuff, they won't return and Ravenclaws would just look offended. But, what would you do if a fight broke out? What are you going to do if a Hufflepuff confuses a grindylow and a hinkypink? What is your policy for Ravenclaws who plagiarize? How will you set up the room to keep all focused and attentive?" Severus asked, finally taking his own tea in hand.

"A teacher has to think through all that?"

"And then some," Remus added. "Otherwise, you won't get any teaching done."

"How could anyone want to teach, then?"

"To influence young minds?" Severus said, munching on a scone.

"To create well-informed citizens?"

"To keep idiots away from wands?"

"I get your point." Sirius huffed. "I still don't see what I should do."

"Who was the most successful DADA teacher in the past twenty years?" Remus asked. Silence reigned. "Me. I know it's unconventional, but any gaps in learning can be remedied by Harry's DA club, or an after-school tutoring program."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I still think you need to switch some units around. Spend first year on magical theory, second year on magical creatures, third years on basic defense, begin working on offense fourth year."

"Fine. It is logical. That way second years don't have a repeat."

"And, a lot of defense theory goes into magical creatures."

Sirius gasped. "But, if you only get into offense fourth year, how is a second year supposed to throw jinxes at his enemies?"

"Exactly." Severus and Remus said in unison, pouring over the binders.

"Alright. Time for arts and crafts."

"Welcome, everyone, to N.E.W.T level DADA, year one," Sirius said, leaning against his desk.

A room full of witches and wizards sat there, staring at him. Harry, Hermione, and Draco all clapped wildly, while the rest remained silent. A student coughed.

"Yes, well. It's good to be appreciated." A hand raised. "Yes, Miss…what's your name?"

"Miss Abbott, sir. Is it true you were wrongfully accused?" the young Hufflepuff asked quietly.

"No, Professor Dumbledore decided to hire a mass-murder for the fourth time."

"Fourth, sir?"

Sirius held up his fingers. "Quirrellmort, Moody, and Umbridge, inadvertently." Everyone continued to stare. "I'm kidding." Another hand raised. "Yes, Mister…Is that a Crabbe I see on the list? How'd you make it here?"

Crabbe shrugged. "Dad works at the ministry. Is it true you spent three years as Harry's dog?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you bite my finger fourth year?"

Sirius reddened. "Quite possibly."

Dean paled. "I fed you snacks."

"Yes, and I saw the entire sixth year Gryffindor boy dormitory naked. Any more questions?" Half the class raised their hand. Sirius rubbed his face. "Oh, boy." He sighed. "If you have a school related question, keep your hand raised. If not, see me after class. Miss Parkinson?"

"How did the school completely ignore the fact that you escaped and then suddenly Harry Potter had a dog? In fact, why was Potter allowed to have a dog? It's not even on the accepted animals list," Pansy asked.

"Dumbledore's a tool and Minnie doesn't like conflict. Now, if you would keep your questions DADA related, that would be wonderful."

At that moment, a ringing resounded throughout the chamber. Everyone scanned the room, eyes widening and hearts racing. What could this be? Was this the start of Mr. Black's lesson?

Finally, Hermione raised her hand. "Uhm, Mr. Black, is that a _cell phone_ ringtone?"

Sirius scowled. "Do cell phones have reception here? And who would bring a cell phone into the classroom?" His eyes widened and he reached into his robe pocket. "Oh, yeah, I did. One moment." He flipped the phone open. "Hello? Oh, you. Tell me, what business do you have with me today? Mhm, and what are you wearing?"

"Uhm, Mr. Black?"

"Not now, 'Mione. Oh? Who's that?" He glanced at the young girl. "A student of mine. Yes, it surprised Moony, too. No one thought I could do it. Just a moment." He walked out to the DADA office to find Remus' with his head in his hands. He grabbed the man and pushed him out the door. "Everyone behave for Professor Moony while I take this important call."

"Who could you possibly-?"

"Professor Lupin," several students shouted, all running up to him and giving him a group hug.

The man turned back to find his friend gone. "Sirius? Sirius! Who could you possibly be talking to?" He turned back to see expectant, smiling faces staring up at him. "Well, I might as well start the lesson if he's not going to. Tell me, how many of you remember my lesson on dementors?" Draco raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Black?"

"Two questions. One: is this going to be a lesson on patroni? And two: why would Sirius have a muggle cell phone? I didn't see him carrying one around all summer."

Goyle scowled. "What were you doing living with Professor Black?"

"He _is_ my guardian, you know. Professor Black, Mister Black…"

"Dragon, dragon," Harry said, hands balancing imaginary dragons. "Was it really hard to figure out?"

"Mr. Black, to answer your first question, yes. To answer your second question, I believe that Professor Black said all non-school related questions are to be left until after class."

"Oh, okay then. How did he get reception here?"

"How is that a school related question?"

"How is it not? He got it past the school wards. How do we know we are protected if the wards don't block calls?"

Remus rubbed his eyes. "Yes, because Muggles are currently creating cellular based weaponry to use against wizards. They know our greatest weakness: sound waves."

Ron's eyes widened. "They did?" His voice squeaked.

"I'm joking, Mr. Weasley. No one's in danger."

"Except Harry, every year." Draco mumbled.

"I'm fairly certain this year's DADA teacher is not out to get Mr. Potter."

"No, but he doesn't the best track record. I mean, every year, he has had some event causing Harry harm. First year, was a parasitic mass-murderer. Second year, it was an egotistical lunatic. Third, a raging werewolf—no offense, Professor Lupin—Fourth year, a different mass-murderer, and then finally a bigoted toad. So, that's an eighty percent chance a professor will directly cause harm to him, sixty percent chance the teacher is gunning for him, and a forty percent chance of them actually intent on killing him." Draco turned back to his girlfriend. "Did I get the math right?"

"You also forgot that at this point, the likelihood of Sirius' first attack being before Christmas is also sixty percent, at or around Halloween at forty percent, with a twenty percent likelihood of an Unforgivable." She looked up. "But, yes."

"I'm right here, you know," Harry said, head in hands.

"Alright, very off-topic. I am positive Professor Black is not out to harm Mr. Potter."

Hannah Abbott scowled. "Are you saying you intended to harm Harry?"

"Oi," Remus sighed. "Okay, the patronus scares away dementors. Now, does anyone know why?"

"You never answered the question," Draco said, smiling brilliantly.

"'Why Professor Lupin?' Well, it's because dementor's feed off of bad memories and the patronus is created through happy memories."

"Actually, Draco has a point. Why didn't you answer, Moony?" Harry asked.

"'So, how does one create a patronus?' Great question, Harry, though I do believe you know the answer. Mr. Potter, would you like to come up and show us?"

"Not until you answer Hannah's question."

"'Yes, Professor Lupin, I'd love to.' Great, come on up, Harry."

Harry stood up, eyebrows knit together. "Are we just glossing over the fact Moony indirectly agreed he was purposefully out to harm me?"

"No, we're glossing over the fact this entire class is a train wreck, whose teacher is also a train wreck currently discussing clothing with some unknown person. Now, Harry, if you will."

" _Expecto Patronum_." Harry waved his wand and a stag shot out of the end.

The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws clapped wildly, while the Slytherins moped and mumbled to themselves.

"Good show, Mr. Potter. Now, if you don't mind sharing with the class, what memory did you use?"

Harry blushed. "Uhm…" He glanced around the room. No, he couldn't admit to the one about gaining a second godfather. "Finding out Sirius was innocent?"

Remus nodded. "Good. How did you put that to use?"

Right then, Sirius ran down the stairs, winded. He tossed the cellular device to his pal.

"It's your girlfriend, Moony. Says she's got interesting news for you."

"She called you?" Remus scowled. "And so you asked her what she was wearing?"

"I have my passions, you have yours."

"Lingerie?"

"I was going to say 'women's fashion', but if you want to put it so crudely, yes." He watched his friend stomp up the stairs. He turned back to class. "So, where are we?"

"Well, Professor Lupin indirectly admitted to wanting to harm Harry third year," Draco said, smirking.

"And we calculated you have an eighty percent chance of directly harming him," Hermione added, having her parchment in the air.

"Wow, I thought this was DADA. That sneaky Dumbledore, getting me to teach arithmancy, instead." At this time, Severus snuck in the back of the room. "Ah, Snape. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Severus huffed, clenching his teeth. "Apparently, the headmaster is instituting a mentoring program for professors. It's all the rage in the colonies and muggle schools."

"And you volunteered to help? Aw, I'm touched."

"Volunteered? I begged to move into Hufflepuff and live among the badgers instead."

Sirius smirked. "I'm sure your girlfriend appreciates your newfound love of the house."

All eyes widened.

"Professor Snape has a girlfriend?" Pansy asked, gushing.

"I know, my bet was on boyfriend."

"Black. I thought this was a DADA lesson."

"It's more like an introduction lesson."

Goyle smiled. "Lupin admitted to wanting to hurt Potter."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Don't we all."

"And Professor Black has an eighty percent likelihood to directly harm Harry," Dean said, scowling.

"With Black, it's more like ninety-nine percent."

"And the _Professor_ has an indecent relationship with his students," Zabini said, smirking.

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "Say what now?"

"He has a vested interest in Malfoy and Potter. One lives with him and the other is his godson. In fact, he's Potter's happiest memory."

Sirius' smile broadened. "Aw, Prongslet, I'm getting a warm feeling inside."

"Stop proving their point, Black. And while we're on the subject, Mr. Zabini, I'd be careful about claiming undo influence on an authority figure." The dark man stared directly at Crabbe and Goyle. "You do not want to hold a double standard only to see it crumble before your eyes." He turned to Black. "I'm sure whatever nepotism is applied in the classroom will be counteracted in others."

"Come to think of it, has anyone seen Potter hand in an assignment for Potions in the last two years?" Finnegan asked, glancing around the room.

"What are you implying, Mr. Finnegan?"

Whatever the Slytherin was about to say was stopped as Remus walked down the stairs, eyes wide and unseeing.

"Padfoot, I shouldn't have pushed you to have the talk with Harry before having the talk with you. Seriously? A one-night stand in a broom closet?"

The entire class dropped their mouths.

Hermione raised her hand, her cheeks flushed. "Uhm, are we dismissed? Or is this turning into health class?"

"No," Remus said, holding up his hands, "all of you are standing up and practicing the charms with me, now. We do not need anymore unplanned pregnancies in this school."

Severus' eyes widened. "Unplanned what now?"

"Hey, you hooked up with Tonks. I knocked a girl up. We all had a fun night."

"Uhm, with all due respect, Professor Black," Hannah Abbott said.

"You hooked up with my cousin?" Draco yelled, standing up.

Harry stood up, as well. "I think at this point, guys, class is dismissed. See you all next week on 'As the Wizard Turns'."

Pansy perked up. "Will we find out who Lupin's girlfriend is?"

"And, if you're lucky, how Professor Snape beat up Professor Black."

"Oh, no, I'm staying for that."

"Everyone leave, now," Severus ordered. All the students slinked out. "Not you two." He raised his hand to stop the two grown men trying sneak out with the other teenagers.

"You said everyone," Sirius said.

"Black, what are you going to do? You got a girl pregnant?"

"And you're dating my cousin. You don't see me complaining about your life choices."

"My life choices aren't about to breed new lives."

"Well, technically…"

"Black," Severus rubbed his eyes, "did the girl say she was keeping the child?"

"She said she wanted to talk about it. Well, technically, Annie said she wanted to talk about it."

"Who's Annie?"

"Moony's girl."

"Ah, yes, I remember. You found two friends and tag teamed."

Remus turned back to his friend. "A broom closet? Do you have no class? One day, your son or daughter will want to know how you met this girl and you'll have to say that this beautiful child came into the world from a broom closet."

"If the stalls hadn't been full, we'd be talking about a bathroom right now."

Severus sighed. "Great first class, Black. What are you going to do next week? Teach them how to make a cocktail?"

"I sure hope he doesn't teach them what he did in the broom closet. _That_ would cause an uptake in unplanned pregnancies at Hogwarts." Remus laughed. "Anyway, Sirius, next time, stick to the script I printed out for you. It's right here next to the lesson plan. The only skill you need is the ability to read."

"Is that why I came back to an arithmancy lesson on how likely I am to kill my own godson?"

"This whole class is a mess," Severus said, turning to leave. "My wing better not be filled with screaming, crying infants next summer, Black."

"Of course not. It'll be his," Remus said, eyes twinkling.

Sirius sat down at his desk, head in his hands. This would be a long year.


	67. Second Week

A/N: In celebration of one of our first dates, we give you another chapter.

Harry sat down at the breakfast table and sipped his pumpkin juice. He smiled up at his friends, faces encouraging.

"Sirius said they didn't fight," he said, shrugging. All faces fell, and the Gryffindors returned to their respective plates. They heard Harry had spent Saturday with his godfather, and all wanted to know what happened after they left.

"You know, I didn't think it would be possible in a Gryffindor boys' dorm, but it's lonely in there without Dragon," Dean said, snacking on some bacon.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you really want a Hogwarts professor sleeping with you?"

"Not the way you imply it."

Draco smirked. "Harry's been sleeping with the DADA professor for years. Do you think that was what Zabini referred to in class last week?"

"No." Harry gritted his teeth. "Maybe we can give the whole school a fight right now. How about it, ferret?"

"What?"

"Keep talking like that, and I'm going to _sectumsempra_ you."

"Do that and Uncle Sev will make you wash cauldrons for a month."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked around the room. "Keep your mouth shut, Black. We don't want to expose any professors, do we?"

"We can't do any worse than they do to themselves," Draco said, shrugging. "We have our own little soap opera going in DADA. To be fair, though, that one was all on Remus."

Hermione scrunched her nose. "Should we really be talking about a professor this way?"

"'Mione? You spent the majority of last year calling one professor a toad, and spent the last three calling another a fraud. You do not occupy the moral high ground here."

"Keep talking like that, and there will be no broom closets for you."

Harry smirked. "You've broom closeted?"

"None of your business, Potter."

"Guess not recently. Should I expect the heir suite to be full next summer?"

"You do realize that means you're insinuating Luna's pregnant, right? Because I in no way own Potter Manor," Draco said, the corners of his mouth struggling to stay down.

"I didn't mention putting you down in my will, ferret?"

"Don't know if I should be touched or worried. Harry, are you doing okay? Do we need to find you and Luna a broom closet?"

Harry pointed to his scar. "We still haven't figured out a way to defeat all of Riddle. There's still a high probability I have to die, and what's going to happen then?"

"We really do need to find one. There's no way we can let the Potter line end with you. Someone has to bring some honor to the name."

"Black, I'm about to shove you in a closet if you don't shut up."

"What's on, Potter?" Ron asked, scowling. "You have no right to be laughing and joking with your friends when Ginny can't do the same."

Hermione sighed. "She went of her own free will and volition, Ronald. We didn't force her, and even Fred and George allowed her to go."

"Don't you try to pin this on Fred and George. They've been distraught. Haven't come out of their rooms since we went home."

Hermione and Harry shared a look. "Did they happen to mention going out to Diagon Alley when you _did_ see them?" Harry asked.

Ron's brown furrowed. "I…well, yeah, how'd you know?"

Hermione turned to Harry. "Well, we know some people tend to throw themselves into their work when they're upset."

"But why wouldn't they tell their family?" Harry asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"Ron, you got upset at us pinning it on the twins. Is anyone else?"

The redhead huffed. "Yeah, the whole lot of 'em. Dad seems to be a bit better, but Mum won't even speak to them. Bill and Charlie blew up at them three times and are now giving them the silent treatment, and Percy threatened to sue."

"And that would be why no one knows. I bet if any of them walked down there now, they'd see the humongous sign."

Draco smiled. "Do you think they're doing just as well as last time?"

"One way to find out," Hermione said with a shrug. "You can ask Sirius to take you there."

"Uhm, after I told Uncle…Professor Snape about the twin's business last time around, he made me swear an unbreakable vow I would never take Sirius there," Draco said, rubbing his arm.

Ron jumped from his seat. "There, see? I'm not crazy. Malfoy's a death eater."

"That," Professor McGonagall walked over to the table, "is a very serious accusation, Mr. Weasley. Do you have any proof?"

"He rubbed his arm."

"Indisputable. Mr. Black, would you please roll up your sleeve?" The blond complied. "And would you mind explaining who you lived with over the summer?"

"Sirius Black."

"And why did you do so?"

"Because Lord Malfoy disowned me."

"Because?"

"For my refusal to join the death eaters and follow Voldemort, he disowned me and disinherited me." He smirked. "I can still inherit, though. After his imprisonment in Azkaban, all of his previous assets were seized and his will nullified." Professor McGonagall glared. "But I couldn't have known that at the time."

"Therefore, can you explain the conclusion?"

"Why would I go through all of that, believing it would leave me penniless and without a name, if I then turned to Voldemort?"

Their professor smiled. "Exactly. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Sirius turned to Severus at the head table. "Was it always that easy for Gryffindor to gain points?"

"Why do you think I take so many away?" Severus asked, smiling into his pumpkin juice. "Did you reconnect with the woman from the broom closet?"

"First of all, it was a coat closet. Second of all, yes. And third of all, she is not excited to know an entire class of sixteen-year-olds knows of our escapade."

"Then don't bring your mutt to class."

Before the two could speak further, a school barn owl flew down to the Gryffindor table and perched beside Harry. He picked off the parchment and gave the bird a slice of bacon.

"Who's it from, Harry?" Neville asked. Harry didn't have a lot of friends outside the school. Actually, he had no friends currently living outside the school…except Fred and George, and no one should ever trust what those two sent.

"It's nothing," Harry said, side-eyeing Hermione. She pretended to slip a ring on her finger and pretended to slit her neck, sticking her tongue out. Harry nodded. He got up and walked over to the headmaster's office. "Thirty pieces of chocolate coins." The gargoyles split and he was able to walk up to the door. "Thirty pieces of chocolate coins? Are you kidding me?"

"Good morning to you, too, Harry."

"Dumbledore, did you change that password specifically for me?"

"What else am I to think of a boy who refuses to do what is necessary to take down the greatest dark lord of our time?"

Harry shrugged. "Mentally sound? Not suicidal?" He shook his head. "Wait, you called me here."

"I'm assuming—short of killing yourself—you would still like to help in Mr. Riddle's demise?"

"Of course," Harry said, sitting across from the headmaster. "I don't want to see people die because of me. Ginny hit me hard. I could only imagine what would happen if I had more bodies I was responsible for killing."

"That said, I do have an idea how you can help." The old wizard walked over to his penseive. "I have a few memories that I would like to go over with you. I thought maybe we could watch them and then go over them together, make a plan, so to speak."

"But, wouldn't that sound suspicious? I mean, what Slytherin wouldn't want to know what memories we were going over?"

"Which is why we shall call them lessons."

"Won't they be curious as to what the lessons concern?"

"Harry, I do believe Tom realizes I've been training you by now. No death eater would bat an eye at me spending special time with you alone."

Harry scowled. "No, but I'm sure someone in the department of child services might." He rolled his eyes. "I guess. It's not like Riddle isn't training his own army of little death eaters."

"Very good, my boy. How was your summer? I understand you spent some time with Sirius?"

"Yes, and Draco stayed there the whole summer." Harry furrowed his brow. "Wait, there was that one week he went to see his aunt and uncle. Dora set it up."

"I heard there was a commotion in class last week."

"Yes, and if we don't hurry this meeting along, I'll miss this week's commotion."

"Meet me here tomorrow night at seven. That is after Gryffindor tryouts, correct?" The old man's eyes twinkled.

"Yes, sir. Thank you for allowing me to stay on the team and for making me captain."

"You do deserve some fun in life, Harry. I'm not the enemy."

"Thank you anyway, sir." He glanced over at the man's left hand. "I never noticed your ring before, Professor."

The old man rubbed his eyes wearily. "It's new, Mr. Potter. I found it over the summer."

Harry nodded knowingly. "Well, sir, I better be going. Sirius would be furious if I were late."

"Sirius would be mad if you were late?"

"Well, no, but Remus would be mad at Sirius for not being mad."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Remus always was the responsible one."

Harry darted out and made it to the DADA classroom just in time to see Snape sitting down in the back, head in hands.

"So, you see, it used to be the 'Highly Discouraged' Forest. We could still go in, but there were warnings posted. However, James, Peter, and I were feeling particularly bad for Moony that day…" Sirius said, leaning on his desk.

Harry turned to his bereaved godfather and whispered in his ear, "Does this have anything to do with defense?"

Severus just shook his head.

"We thought a tea party might cheer him up, you see. He loves tea and…"

"Sirius!" Remus called through the office door. "This is not part of the lesson plan."

"Of course, it is. I was just about to explain how we defended ourselves from the acromantulas."

"You're teaching a second lesson on patroni. How does that have anything to do with your poorly attempted tea party?"

Severus stood up. "Black, if you would like to continue with your demonstration portion of the day, I do believe there are three people in this room who can conjure a patronus."

"Three? Really?" Sirius asked.

"Harry, Lupin, and I can all do so."

"Yeah, but Moony would never…" Sirius paused. "There's no reason he shouldn't now, though. Everyone knows his furry little secret." The class chuckled.

"Sirius!"

"Don't get your tail in a twist, Moony."

Harry turned to Severus. "This class really is a train wreck."

"I believe that the curse may oust him, not by death, but by his lack of ability."

"Yes, but it is definitely hard to say he lacks ability. He's better than Lockheart."

"We have our own little soap opera here."

"Yeah, but at least we're learning defense. Lockheart was solely theatre and himself."

Sirius' eyes widened. "Prongslet, I'm hurt. You're comparing me with that buffoon?"

"Black, you must focus if you want to get anything done in this class," Severus said, rubbing his eyes.

"Fine." Sirius huffed. "Prongslet, please show us your patronus."

"I did it last week."

Severus sighed. "I doubt anyone remembers it, Mr. Potter. I do remember a lot of commotion over one-night stands and the calculation of your demise."

Harry shrugged, casting his patronus charm. Once everyone clapped, oohing and ahhing, Sirius took to grouping everyone in threes to discuss their happiest memory.

"Once each of you thinks you have a decent memory, I want you to try casting the charm. Snape, Prongslet, Moony, Mione, or I will be around to check on you and give you pointers."

"What about me?" Draco asked, jumping to his feet.

"Oh, sorry Dragon. I forgot." Sirius turned to the rest of the class. "Dragon…I mean, Draco will be around, as well." He looked back at the boy. "But why don't you show us how it's done. Just to show everyone you know how."

Draco smiled, waving his wand and yelling, "Expecto Patronum." A white ferret pranced out of his wand.

Severus held his head in his hands. "You've got to be freaking kidding me."

That night, Harry received an owl ordering him to head down to the dungeons. No name, no explanation. Of course, it was in the dungeons, so what else could he expect?

Severus and Sirius stood in an abandoned potions room. Both scowled and crossed their arms.

Harry furrowed his brow. "Is everything okay?"

"Albus expressed concern at your fascination with his ring this morning," Severus said, tapping a finger on his bicep.

"So?"

"Prongslet, Albus told Severus he's dying because of the curse on that ring." Sirius leaned against a potions table.

"We already knew that."

Severus' scowl darkened. "He explained to me the concept of a horcrux and told me to try and see if you would talk with Slughorn."

Harry smirked. "He told big, scary potions master Severus Snape to make me talk with Slughorn?"

"No," Severus said, rolling his eyes. "He came in to get some potions for his hand, and talked about horcruxes. Then, he mentioned your interest in the ring this morning. Finally, he mentioned how Horace needs a little help getting back into the swing of things and would love to have an assistant during classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays."

"Let me guess, he suggested me?"

"Yes. He insinuated you would be able to get him to talk more readily about his previous experience teaching."

"Why?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Why would Dumbledore go to Snape for anything concerning you? Better yet, who would Dumbledore use against Snape to get you to do something?"

"My mum?"

"Ding-ding-ding, we have a winner."

"When did this become a carnival game, Padfoot?"

"When was it not, Prongslet?" Sirius winked.

"Okay, so I need to be more careful about what I say to Dumbledore. I understand." Harry turned toward the door. "I'll watch my words. I have a busy day tomorrow, so I'm getting some shut eye. Love you both."

"Not so fast, young man," Severus said, quirking an eyebrow.

Harry scrunched his eyes shut. "Shoot, thought it would work."

"We have several things we need to discuss."

The boy sighed. "Fine." He turned back and sat on one of the desks. "Proceed."

"First, plan on assisting Professor Slughorn on Wednesdays and Thursdays."

"What? I have so much I need to do. I'm the captain of the quidditch team, Sirius is making me continue the DA, and Draco's insisting that someone must be working on an assassination plot for Dumbledore. He won't stop fussing over who it is or what we should do." Harry beat his head on the desk. "I need those days for homework and DA planning."

"Not to mention quidditch planning," Sirius mumbled under his breath.

"Harry, I understand you feel stressed. Black should not be pressuring you to teach DADA for him in your spare time." Snape glared at his colleague.

"I want to make a point that _I_ did not ask him to continue the DA. _Hermione_ badgered me into continuing the DA—along with Remus, might I add—and I barely know what I'm doing in class."

"Wait, barely? Like, you actually know something about what you're doing?" Snape asked, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"Well, if I didn't have you and Moony breathing down my neck…"

"You spent a half-hour on the phone during one class, and spent twenty minutes going over a past misadventure that nearly killed all involved."

"If you had let me finish that story, I was going to say that it was the first time James ever cast a corporeal patronus. I planned to explain how he used the discussions we had during that ill-planned tea party on some of our favorite memories together to create that patronus." Sirius huffed. "It was why I was putting them into small groups…" he smiled, "and why I had tea brewing in the staff room."

Severus stared at the man for a moment. "Black…I, that was actually a very decent attempt at engaging students and connecting previous knowledge with what you were currently teaching."

"I read at least one of the books you and Moony shoved at me the past few weeks."

"All the way through?"

"Just the highlights."

Harry huffed. "Guys, is that all? I'm getting tired, and the weight of this is getting to be too much."

Sirius shook his head. "No, Harry. Once a week, on Sunday afternoons, you will come down here to train with me and Spots."

"Spots and me," Severus said. "Wait, no."

"You owned it."

"Sirius, you can't be serious," Harry said.

"But, I am. Always."

"This is taking away from quidditch time."

Sirius scrunched his face. He turned to Severus. "Spots, it's taking away from quidditch time."

Severus rolled his eyes. "We talked about this Black. Harry can practice quidditch in the evenings." He faced the boy. "Teams are not supposed to have more than two practices a week, anyway. Wood bent the rules greatly, and I'm sorry to say Professor McGonagall let him. The weight of all that is damaging to a student's health and well-being."

"But weighing them down with responsibilities is a-okay."

"Welcome to the adult world, Harry. You've been able to avoid this phase for six years."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Harry, welcome. It's been great."

"Black, you were able to avoid your adulthood for nineteen years."

"And I will continue to do so."

Severus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Why do I get the feeling _I_ will be the one raising the next Black heir?"

"Between you and Moony, we have it all set."

Harry's eyes sparkled. "So, what did she say? She's having it? Do I get a godmother in the future?"

"Hardly. She wants nothing to do with the baby; however, she refuses to kill any life and says if I don't take it, she'll send it to the nearest muggle adoption center," Sirius said, hand combing his hair.

"She used those exact words?"

"No, but that was the gist of it."

"I'm surprised," Severus said, smiling. "Many muggles would just have an abortion and be done with it."

"I'm glad she's not." Sirius smiled. "It's my son or daughter. I'm excited for them."

"And I'm excited for sleep when I can get it. I have to stockpile it for the summer." Harry pointed toward the door. "Can I go now?"

Both men rolled their eyes, waving him off. Once the boy left, the two sat down at a desk.

"Prongslet's got the right idea. I should head to bed, too." Sirius yawned, stretching his arms. "Moony's coming over tomorrow to meet with me and train me on planning my own lessons."

"Really?"

"Like you said back in the summer, his lessons don't really match how I teach. We're going to revamp them to fit my own philosophy of education."

"He taught you that term as well, didn't he?"

"Well…"

"Where is he tonight, anyway?"

Sirius' eyes sparkled. "He's out with his girl, Annie. I'm so proud of him. First marauder in a while to hold down a steady girlfriend." He eyed his friend. "Present company excluded."


	68. Revelations

"So, you mind telling us what happened at quidditch try-outs, 'Mione?" Harry asked, arm wrapped around Luna's shoulders.

Hermione huffed. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it."

"Well," Draco said, watching the path beneath his feet, "I gave you two weeks to explain to Harry why you let McLaggen beat Weasley. That's all the time you get."

"What are you talking about?" Harry scowled, eyes resolutely facing forward. They walked down toward Hogsmeade for another double date. It was a breezy fall day, and the four hadn't gotten to see as much of each other as they would have liked, especially with Luna's constant studying for OWLs.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Remember those private lessons with Uncle Sev?"

"Yeah," Harry said, brow quirking. "What's this have to do with Hermione?" He blanched. "Did he give you the talk, too?"

"No," Draco paused. "Well, yes, but years ago. Not the point. He taught me legilimency."

"Wait? He taught you legilimency before occlumency?"

Draco sighed. "He taught me occlumency last time around. It takes him an hour to get through my defenses."

"It takes 'Mione all of five seconds."

"Shut up." Draco punched his godbrother's shoulder. "Anyway, I figured I'd try it out on the weak minds first."

"So, you saw a lot of quidditch and make-up?"

"No. Well, yes, but that's not the point. I tried it on Weasley."

"Which one?" Harry's eyes widened. "Wait, there's only one now, isn't there? Dang it, I'm so used to a gaggle of Weasleys. It's hard to imagine just one."

Luna chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that's what Molly said."

Draco huffed. "Do you want to hear what I saw or not?"

"Well, knowing Ron, it was probably more quidditch."

"No. Well, yes, but not in the way you would think."

"Does it have to do with Hermione…did he imagine her naked?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Ew, no. He'd be dead if he did."

"If it has anything to do with Krum, I'm leaving."

"Harry," Draco said, rubbing his eyes, "he was planning on ways to throw the game so that you'd fall."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Doesn't he realize that could hurt someone?"

Hermione slapped him upside the head. "No duh, genius. He's trying to kill you."

"Oh," Harry frowned. "Well, to be fair, I did kill his sister."

"Not on purpose."

"But without me…"

"She'd be dead. He'd be dead. The whole wizarding world would be dead."

"Can we talk about something else?" Luna asked, gazing at the grey sky. "All this death is turning the sky sad."

Turning the sky sad, Draco mouthed to Harry.

"I'm sorry, love. No more death talk for today." Harry kissed her hair.

"The Three Broomsticks?" Hermione asked as they walked through the gate.

"Either that or Madame Puddifoots, and I think we all agree that one of Uncle Sev's death eater parties is better than that place." Draco shook his head. "No appreciation for the different colors of black."

Luna's eyes jumped to the boy. "But please, just for a minute. I have a friend I promised I would say hi to."

Draco huffed. "But…" The girl stared at him, her eyes sparkling. "Fine. Two minutes only."

The four headed down to the peptobismal pink building. Both boys scowled, huffing. Hermione's smile brightened as they readied themselves to walk in. This wasn't going to be two minutes. The girls would pull this out for ages. Whatever friend Luna had to see, was she really that important that the boys had to lose their manliness for the day?

Draco opened the door and let the two ladies through, gesturing for Harry to enter, as well. Upon closing the door, both boys' eyes widened. Their jaws dropped to the floor.

"Uncle Sev?" Both gasped in unison.

Sitting in the center, surrounded by empty tables, was Severus Snape.

"Tonks," Luna said, smiling. She ran to hug the witch.

Harry and Draco's smiles widened. Severus blanched.

"Uncle Sev, what are you doing here?" Draco asked, pulling up a chair.

Severus turned to his date. "Dora, you promised me no one would ever find out."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know Luna would bring your entire fan club." The metamorphagus winked. "Of course, those unruly fans can sniff their way to any celebrity."

"Yes, unruly fans."

"What's this about fans, Uncle Sev?" Harry asked, taking a seat and pulling it up next to Draco. Luna grabbed a seat and sat next to Tonks, leaving Hermione standing there, speechless.

"Nothing," Severus said, rubbing his face. "Don't you four have a prank shop to be at or something?"

"Well, I kinda promised my godfather I wouldn't go to those anymore," Draco said cheekily.

"And I promised my godfather I'd have lunch with him." Harry winked.

"Ah, where is Black, then?" Severus asked, scowling.

"Oh, you didn't get the memo? You're godfather today. He's godfather tomorrow."

"We have a schedule now, do we?"

Harry smiled. "Well, you don't want to be overly god-fathered. I mean, that can cause strange effects like broom closeting."

Tonks' brow furrowed. "What's broom closeting?"

"It's our new euphemism for 'unplanned pregnancies'," Hermione said, sighing. "Also known as 'the Sirius Effect'."

"Wait, what?"

Severus smirked. "Oh, I didn't tell you that, dear? Your cousin is expecting."

"Expecting what? A puppy? A leprechaun?"

"A baby, dear."

Draco and Harry smiled, locking eyes. 'Dear' Draco mouthed. Harry snickered.

"Don't you two have a detention to be at?" Severus asked.

"I don't, I don't think so."

"Well, you should probably leave before I find a reason for you to be in one."

Harry stood up. "That's abuse of your office."

"My office as what? Your professor? Your godfather?"

"Actually," Tonks said, "I think we're the ones abusing his office."

"Ew," both boys said in unison.

Severus smirked again. "Now, now, boys. Don't make me talk to you again."

Draco jumped to his feet. "I don't need that three times." He looked at his watch. "Well, everyone, I do believe we have a cursing to stop. Sorry, Uncle Sev."

Hermione rolled her eyes as Draco dragged her out of the dining room, Harry close on his heels.

"I'll have that talk with you, Professor," Luna said, eyes staring into nothing.

Tonks patted the girl's head. "Sweetie, I think your friends left."

"I noticed."

"You should probably go find them. You know, to stop the…" Dora peered over at Severus. "How do they know there's going to be a cursing? Did they curse someone?"

"No, Neville's been secretly feeding Hermione magic mushrooms and she's been sharing with Draco."

"Shouldn't you be a little concerned about that?"

Severus shrugged. "Like you didn't do magic mushrooms?"

"Well, my head of house is the professor of herbology."

"So, the talk?" Luna asked, smiling.

"Miss Lovegood, did your father discuss with you what to do if Harry ever…" Severus painfully glanced at Dora.

The metamorphagus rolled her eyes. "Has sex with you?"

"Oh, that talk. Yes, sir," she nodded, "we've had that talk." She got up. "Harry and I are waiting until marriage, but don't tell Draco that, or Sirius." She paused. "And don't tell Harry Draco and Hermione are doing the same."

The two adults stared off in concern as the young girl skipped away, supposedly off to stop a cursing.

"She's going to end up being my daughter-in-law, isn't she?"

"You're adopting him?" Dora asked.

"Mother of my grandchildren?"

"Wait, did you have a paternity test or something?"

"We're going to be wading in little babies at the Potter Manor, aren't we?" Severus asked.

"We? Is there something we need to talk about?"

"I can't handle that many small children, Dora."

"I'm told it's different when it's yours."

Severus' eyes widened. "Is there something we do need to talk about?"

"Hardly."

Sirius and Remus watched the four teens walk in and order some butterbeer. Sirius got up to go join them, but Remus held him down in his seat.

"No, you will have time to play after you finish your lesson plans," Remus said, pushing the binder closer to the animagus.

Sirius scowled. "But I want to play now."

"Sirius Orion Black, I am not your mother." He threw a quill into the man's hand. "Now sit down and do your work."

Draco sipped his drink. "So, who are we betting on?"

"Betting on for what? Who will kill the other first? My money's on Moony," Harry said, eyes sparkling.

"No, who's going to curse Katie Bell."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Must I remind you that betting on someone doing something bad is wrong?"

"No," Draco said. "I don't remember inviting the buzzkill." Hermione's nostrils flared. "I didn't mean it."

"Really?"

"Someone imperiused me into saying that."

"Sure." Hermione rose from her chair. "I believe the buzzkill is going to the bathroom. Don't try to have too much fun while I'm gone."

Luna sighed. "I'll go with you. Remember, the last time you went to the bathroom alone, a troll attacked you."

"Do you really think that's the last time I went to the bathroom alone?"

"If any of the gossip around the Gryffindor table is to be believed."

Both girls turned, leaving the boys to their own devices. They peered over at the two professors diligently plotting next week's lessons.

"How mad do you think Moony would be if I walked up to Sirius right now?" Harry asked.

"On a scale of one to ten? Twelve."

"Cover me."

Draco sputtered. "Harry, I don't condone suicide missions."

It was too late. Harry had already made it half way through the pub. He glided up to the table, flashing a smile and sparkling eyes.

"Padfoot, how are you?"

"Prongslet," Sirius said, jumping to his feet to hug the boy. "I feel like I never see you outside of school and training."

Remus rubbed his eyes. "Well, you both live at Hogwarts, which is a school, so I'm going to say yeah." He smirked. "Besides, you had to spend yesterday at a muggle gynecologist."

Harry laughed. "I have to hear the story on that one."

"It was nothing." Sirius' cheeks reddened.

"Nothing? Severus had to pull you out of there before the obliviators came."

"In my defense, Moony, I thought they really were torturing her."

"They were giving her an ultrasound."

"Wait," Harry said, holding up a hand, "did you say Severus was there?"

"Yes," Remus said, nodding. "He came along for the ride."

"Why didn't he mention it at Madame Puddifoot's?"

Sirius smirked. "He's at Madame Puddifoot's?" He jumped to his feet.

Remus spelled his friend's butt to the chair. "No, bad dog. Stay."

"Now I'm a dog?"

"Aren't you…in several ways of the term?"

Hermione and Luna ran to the table.

"Katie's outside screaming," Luna said, brushing hair from her face.

Hermione bent over, placing hands on knees. "We went to check it out. She's now suspended in the air. Madame Pomphrey is coming to see her now."

"We missed it?" Draco whined.

Remus scowled. "You knew it was going to happen?"

"Not now, Remus," Hermione said, straightening herself.

"I'm upset because we didn't see it happen. How do we know who it is?"

"Who who is?" Remus asked.

"Not now, Remus," Luna said, patting his shoulder.

Sirius shrugged. "That's simple. We ask Spots who forced him to make an unbreakable vow."

"Do we even know he did?" Harry asked, brows knitting together.

"Exactly," Draco sighed. "The only reason mother made him take that unbreakable vow was because he is my godfather."

"Besides, Padfoot, the only time Spots left the manor was for death eater meetings." Harry rubbed his eyes, sighing.

"But that's where death eater junior would be, anyway," Hermione said, collapsing in a chair.

Sirius threw up his hands. "But half of Slytherin house are death eaters."

"That's not true," Draco said, crossing his arms.

Remus' brow furrowed. "Draco, how would you know?"

"Moony," Sirius said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "we all love you, but you really aren't a part of this conversation right now."

"I've noticed."

Harry sighed again. "I think it's time to tell Moony."

"Harry," Hermione started.

"We'll have to tell him eventually."

"Tell me what? We're living in an alternate universe where my opinion doesn't matter?" Remus asked, hands thrown up in the air.

Sirius shook his head. "That's not an alternate universe, Moons."

Harry grabbed his godfather by the wrist and pulled him toward the exit, chair still attached to his behind. Hermione spelled it off, and it clattered to the floor. Sirius tripped over it and grabbed onto Draco's wrist, pulling him along. Draco stumbled grabbing onto Hermione's hand, pulling her along. Hermione glanced over at Luna and grabbed her hand. If she didn't, the poor Ravenclaw would end up having a very interesting conversation with Remus. Finally, Luna grabbed Remus' hand, because no one else seemed to notice they left the man behind.

Harry marched into Madame Puddifoot's and pulled Severus from his seat.

"Come on, we need your help," Harry said, pulling the man towards the exit, though he didn't need a lot of persuasion.

Tonks stood. "Where are you going?"

"Important Hogwarts business. A girl has been cursed," Sirius said, finally letting go of Draco's hand.

"Can I come?"

Severus shook his head. "Probably not, dear."

They walked in silence toward Hogwarts. Albus stopped them at the door.

"Professor Snape, I require your assistance."

Severus shook his head. "What potion does the girl require?"

"No, I need you. You were in Hogsmeade, correct?"

"I didn't witness anything."

"Oh?" Dumbledore's eyebrows raised. "My top spy missed a key observation?"

"He took the day off," Sirius said. "Went on a date."

Severus glared at his colleague. "I was otherwise engaged. I am not your spy 24/7."

"I have a sworn oath that says differently."

"Yes, well, considering the subject of said oath requires my attention at the moment, I will attend to him." Severus walked past his friend and mentor. "If you require a potion, send an owl my way. Standard wait times for potions fall between three to five days depending on shipping."

The group followed the dark man down into the dungeons. He whispered his password, letting them into his personal quarters. All the others scanned the room, looking for a place to sit, but not Luna. She walked straight toward the couch and took a seat, pulling Remus along with her.

"Miss Lovegood, it seems like you've taken the advantage of making yourself at home. However, you've never been in my quarters before," Severus said, eyebrow quirked.

"Not while you were awake, anyway." Luna shrugged.

Sirius' brow furrowed. "You haven't been in my quarters, have you?"

"What you and Mr. Lupin do in your own time is none of my business."

"Wait, what?" Harry asked, jaw dropping.

Remus held up his hands. "I think she just means to say that I've moved in…in a completely separate room in Sirius' quarters."

Luna smiled. "What else would I have meant?"

Draco shook his head. "Now, we are here to discuss with Remus what's been going on."

"We are?" Severus asked. He glanced over at Hermione.

"Against my better judgment," the Gryffindor said through clenched teeth.

Remus jumped to his feet. "What in Merlin's name is going on?"

Sirius walked over and put a hand on his friend's shoulders. "My godson's a time traveler."

"And I'm the Queen of England. Now, tell me, what's really going on?"

Severus sighed. "Lupin, that is the truth. Harry, Draco, and Hermione traveled back in time."

"From, like, tomorrow?"

"Really?" Hermione asked. "We've been keeping you out of this for a lot longer than today."

"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug, "you've just kind of ignored our comments."

"Or, you know, we put you off by saying 'not now'," Luna said, smiling.

Remus sunk back into his seat. He scanned the room. "And you three know about this?"

"I was the first they told," Sirius said, chest puffed out.

"I figured it out when they were discussing Dragon the dog on the way to Hogwarts," Luna said, her fingers playing with her hair.

"I forced it out of them," Severus said, dropping into his high-back chair.

Draco scoffed. "Yeah, right." He turned to the wolf. "We told him so he'd be too shocked to punish us."

"Which didn't work, by the way," Harry stated, sitting in-between Luna and Remus.

"Wait, so, you…you time traveled?" Remus' eyes jumped from Harry to Draco to Hermione and back again.

"Yes," Hermione said, nodding. "It's what we've been talking about all this time. What with horcruxes, and people being cursed, and us being adults…"

"You are not adults."

"Technically, we're twenty-three."

Remus blanched, using Harry's knee as a support to keep him from passing out to the floor. "Twenty…twenty-three?"

"We'd reached majority almost a full year before we went back," Harry said, patting his mentor's hand.

"Actually," Draco said, "I was four weeks away from being eighteen."

"Excuse me," Hermione huffed, "I already was eighteen. That makes me twenty-four."

"I've never heard of a witch actually begging us to make her older," Sirius said, sitting down in the closest chair. Sadly, this happened to be the chair Severus currently occupied. The dark man pushed the dog animagus off his lap and onto the floor. "I'll just sit here then. You need more seats, Spots."

"I don't plan on encouraging students to come down into my chambers." Severus turned to Luna. "Especially when I'm sleeping."

Sirius shook his head. "Those unruly fans, Spots."

"Shut up."

Harry scowled. "What's with these unruly fans?"

"Little inside joke between Dora and him," Sirius said, laughing.

"Anyway," Severus said, rolling his eyes, "Lupin, they really did travel back in time. They failed to defeat the dark lord and were given a second chance to make things right."

"How are you sure, Severus?" Remus asked, rubbing his eyes.

"They know things they couldn't have known."

"Well, we didn't know about the godfather thing," Hermione said. "And we never thought Severus would end up with Tonks."

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"Because Remus was with Tonks."

Harry's face fell. "Does this mean I don't get my godson, Teddy Lupin?"

"You're what now?" All three men asked in unison.

"My godson."

Sirius shrugged. "Well, you'll have a godchild in a few months."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, you and Draco. Prongs gave me the idea. In this climate, you can never be too careful."

"You better not leave that child fatherless."

Sirius motioned to his godson. "Exactly why I have you."

"In what world has Sirius ever thought through a plan?" Remus asked

"He had a Plan B last June," Draco said, draping over Severus.

Severus fought hard to keep the corners of his mouth steady. "Dragon, you're too old for this."

"No one's too old for hugs from Uncle Sev," Draco said, squeezing his arms around Severus' neck. Severys slithered out of the boy's robes and settled himself on the dark man's neck.

"Was the snake a thing last time?" Remus asked, hands combing through his hair.

Hermione scrunched her nose. "Technically yes, but no at the same time."

Remus shook his head. "That makes sense."

"I actually got to see you a lot more this time, Moony," Harry said, beaming.

"Yes, he didn't have an overbearing mother last time," Hermione said, glancing around the room. She was the only one still standing. She sighed and fell onto the floor.

"First time I heard about you since Azkaban, Hermione mentioned that you had a strange relationship," Sirius joked, winking.

"I had a strange relationship with him? You slept in his bed for three years."

"Yes, and like I said before, I've seen everyone in the Gryffindor dormitory naked."

"Wait," Hermione said, brows knitting together, "when did you see any of the girls naked?"

Sirius blushed. "I was testing a hypothesis."

"Did Lupin teach you that word?" Severus asked.

"Yes, anyway…"

"A long time ago, when I told him it was an abuse of power to go into female dormitories as an animagi," Remus said, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, and Marlene McKinnon never looked any better."

"Sirius Orion Black!" Hermione squealed, covering herself.

"You look good, too, 'Mione."

Draco jumped off Severus. "Fight me."

"You don't want that to happen," Sirius said, smiling. "I will win and you will still have to live with the fact that I've seen your girlfriend naked."

Severus sighed. "Black, you and I will have a long discussion later concerning the board's protocol for male teachers in female dorms…"

"I haven't been in there since I was a professor."

"Anyway," Remus continued. "What happened last time?"

"Yes, but Black and I will talk."

"Indubitably."

Harry shrugged. "I don't see much difference the first three years. Sirius was still on the run, Dobby was still an idiot. The only difference was Draco wasn't in Gryffindor last time."

Remus' eyes widened. "That makes sense."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. The only difference?" Hermione asked, arms crossed.

"The only big difference."

"What about not spending the summer with the Weasleys?"

Remus' eyes popped. "You spent the summer with the Weasleys?"

"Or not getting detention for flying in a car?"

"That's why you were on the Knight Bus."

"Or the fact that Severus is your godfather?"

Harry waved her off. "That didn't change. It's just no one knew about it."

"You two nearly killed each other," Hermione squealed. "Several times, in fact."

All three men silently stared at each other.

"Okay, some things changed. The real change occurred fourth year."

"The only real change, Harry?" Hermione asked, arms crossed.

"Fine, Buckbeak died."

The girl threw up her hands. "Sirius."

"Yes, my lady?" The man asked.

"No. Last time, Sirius didn't live at Hogwarts as Harry's pet dog."

Remus sighed. "And fourth year?"

"You came for me." Harry smiled. "I have people."

Draco rubbed his eyes. "Yes, Harry, you have a lot of people. Most of those people are homicidal maniacs, but you have people."

"Cedric lived. That was the whole turning point of the changes," Harry said, resting his arm around Luna's shoulders.

"Yes, and Dung was on Harry watch during the dementor attacks, not Severus," Hermione said.

"Dung? As in Mundungus?" Remus scowled. "Who would trust him to watch Harry?"

"Voldemort found a way into my mind and started playing with it. He ended up convincing me that he had Sirius at the Department of Mysteries. I went there to surprise them, only for the death eaters to nearly kill me. Bellatrix succeeded in killing Sirius."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, and that made for a very depressing year with a very depressed and angry Harry." The boy scowled. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth."

"Harry is temperamental," Draco said nonchalantly. "He did try to kill me."

"What?" Remus asked.

"I didn't know what the spell did," Harry defended.

Remus faced Severus. "Why would you give him your spell?"

"Oh, you just assume it's me?"

"No, but I found that stupid book of yours in your classroom."

"What were you doing in my classroom?" Severus asked.

"What was Luna doing in your quarters?"

"He's very peaceful when he sleeps," Luna said, smiling. "Tonks agrees."

"Anyway, Draco tried to kill Dumbledore," Harry said, playing with Luna's hair.

"Wait, what? When?" Remus asked, jumping to his feet.

"Last time. He failed, though, so Severus did," Sirius said, examining his fingernails.

"What?"

"There was an unbreakable vow involved," Severus averted his eyes, "and he told me to."

"So that's why they wanted to know who made an unbreakable vow with you."

"This time? No one. I'm as clueless to what happened this afternoon as the rest of you."

Hermione shrugged. "At least they don't have any more brains. Could you imagine trying to stop an evil mastermind?"

"Hey," Draco said, scowling.

Hermione kissed his temple. "You're very smart. You're just not the one I'd call if I wanted someone dead. You were very passive-aggressive."

"You want someone more aggressive now, do you?"

"In bed? No. To kill someone for me? Most definitely."

Remus walked to the door. He turned back to see everyone still seated. "Well? Aren't you coming?"

They all looked around.

"To do what?" Sirius asked, starting to stand up.

"Someone's got to save Dumbledore."

"He's already dead, technically," Hermione said, lying on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"When? How?"

"That ring on his finger?" Severus said. "It's one of Riddle's horcruxes. He made a total of seven. The stupid diary four years ago was one of them. That ring had a few protection spells around it. When Albus tried to destroy it, he ended up with a killing curse."

"Madame Pomphrey was able to keep it from spreading quickly," Sirius continued. Everyone stared at him. "What? I was in the back grabbing some ingredients for Spots. Anyway, it's still a death sentence. He's got maybe a year."

"He let you help him with potions?" Harry asked.

Severus shrugged. "Surprisingly, he's not clumsy enough to drop ingredients. Plus, he's actually good when he's not trying to cause bodily harm to someone."

"Ah, Spots, I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside."

"Sirius, you really need to stop saying that," Remus said, rubbing his eyes. "Well, did Draco do anything else that could possibly bring harm to anyone?" They all nodded, even Luna. "Then we need to figure out who this is and how to stop them."

"Why?" Sirius whined.

Harry turned to him. "Do you want death eaters overrunning the school?"

"We already have one death eater. What's a few more?"

"Sirius, no."

"Fine, Draco, if you had to choose one person to replace you, who would it be?"

Draco scrunched his nose. "My bet's on Finnegan." He shrugged. "Riddle does seem to have a soft spot for half-bloods."

"Alright," Severus said, standing. "Let's go give a child detention."


	69. The Horcrux in Harry

"Alright, everyone, who has ever heard of an inferi?" Sirius asked, leaning against his desk.

Draco raised his hand straight in the air. "Oh, oh."

"You, monkey number one."

"Well," Draco scowled, humphing,"an inferi is a corpse that still acts like a human."

"Like a zombie?" Finnegan asked.

The Slytherins all turned and stared. Zambini quirked his brow. "What's that?"

The Irish boy reddened. "Uhm, it's some mudblood term."

"Detention, Mr. Finnegan," Sirius said, popping up from his spot. "That is not a term to be used in polite company." He pointed to a raised hand. "Yes, Miss Abbott?"

"Wait? He's getting a detention for that? Isn't that usually just a point deduction?" Hannah asked, her forehead creased.

Sirius blushed. "I'm tired of hearing that awful term. Points don't seem to be a deterrent anymore. They just get them back in potions." He scowled. "Besides, you're in Hufflepuff. What do you care?"

"Well, it's not fair…"

"Life's not fair," Sirius said. "You might as well get used to it."

"Exactly," Harry smiled. "If life was fair, you wouldn't have to teach a lesson on the thing that killed your brother."

"Wait, Remus killed my brother?" Sirius whipped around and stomped up the stairs. "Moony, you promised you wouldn't."

"That was last week's lesson, Padfoot." Remus voice sounded from upstairs. "I do believe he was referring to the current topic."

Meanwhile, Severus was sitting in the back of the class, softly banging his head on the desk. He started when he felt a hand petting his back.

"Miss Lovegood, what are you doing in this class?" Severus asked, brow furrowing in concern.

Luna shrugged. "I have a free period, and I wouldn't want to miss out on catching this episode of 'As the Wizard Turns'."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. Not deeming the comment worthy of response, he turned back to the lesson.

"So, how does one fight an inferi? It's not like they're going to die more," Sirius said as he descended the stairs.

Pansy raised her hand. "Professor Black, aren't you going to be a dad soon? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Enough with the questions about my personal life," Sirius said, huffing.

"Why?"

"Because if I answer one more question, Professor Snape and Professor Moony will lock me in a room with Professor Binns lecturing on the proper professional relationship protocol between teachers and students." Sirius turned and picked up a piece of chalk. "Back to the matter at hand: how do you destroy an inferi?"

Harry raised his hand. "Well, inferi don't like fire or light. What I don't get is why Kreacher didn't know that. He could have easily magicked Regulus away after repelling the corpses."

"Harry," Hermione said, turning to her friend, "enough with the obsessive need to talk about Regulus."

"But he was so misunderstood."

"And what does this have to do with the lesson?"

Harry puffed out his lip. "He was a hero."

Sirius slammed the chalk down onto the ledge of the board. "Alright, that's enough. _Silencio_." Draco opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Zabini's mouth started bobbing, his eyes blazing, but not a word was spoken. "I have had it up to here with your nonsense. Do you realize this is the only class that acts this way? I have had second years who successfully captured pixies. I have had third years hold a strong protego against a cutting curse. I have had fourth years successfully master an expelliarmus charm. How is it I can't go two seconds in this class without one of you derailing the conversation with inane chatter?" Several moments of silence followed. Sirius was sure they were feeling contrite, refusing to look him in the eye, but their lack of response grated on his nerves.

"Well? Why aren't any of you answering me?" The entire class glared at him. "Oh, yeah. _Finite Incantatum_."

At once, the entire room filled with loud shouts of indignation. Even Draco yelled out, claiming he would sue for emotional distress at the outrageous action of being silenced. Sirius sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, and walked to the stairs.

"Moony," he called up, "I give up. You take them for the day."

Remus sat in the office upstairs, lounging in a lazy-boy, reading _The Daily Prophet_. His voice carried down the steps.

"I'm not coming down there every time you have an issue with them, Padfoot."

"Why not? That's my entire parenting strategy."

"I'm going to end up raising your child, aren't I?"

Severus jumped from his spot. " _Silencio_." All the students turned to him, offended. "For once, Black is right…and all of you have detention for making me say that."

"Ah, Spots, I have a warm, fuzzy feeling inside."

"Black, you are one comment away from my locking you in a room with the mother of your child to discuss adult responsibilities."

Sirius sat at his desk. "As you were."

"In all my years of teaching, I have never seen such a poorly behaved class. I have always had problems with your group—your understanding of interpersonal interactions is truthfully appalling-but you somehow maintained a shred of respect for me-if only out of fear-and were able to learn. Professor Black has done everything in his power to try and give you a less stressful learning environment and taken the time to create sound, engaging lessons for you to give you the tools you need to succeed in life. Somehow, you have shown how little you respect someone who spent twelve years in Azkaban for a crime he did not commit, a hero who has selflessly given his all to the war effort, and a man who stepped out of his comfort zone, sat for hours with his worst enemy, and came out with lessons any teacher would be proud to use. This man is more than worthy of your respect and obedience, yet you give him none. I am appalled by your lack of decency, your lack of integrity, and your lack of self-control. You pry into things that are not yours to know, you continually gossip about the man as if he were no greater than one of your peers, and you take no caution in following your every whim. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Now, sit down, shut up, and give Black the respect he's due for once in your lives." Severus turned, slamming the door on his way out.

Up on the balcony, Remus stood, hands supporting his weight against the railing as his jaw dropped. Sirius paled, his eyes widening. All the students collectively gasped, before facing the front and folding their hands, completely prepared to listen to whatever Professor Black had to say.

"Well, apparently, I've walked into an alternate reality," Sirius said, slowly standing up from his seat.

Harry nodded. "You're telling me."

That night at dinner, all eyes stayed on Severus while he ate. At first, he ignored it. Then, he blushed in embarrassment. Finally, he reddened in anger.

"What is so bloody interesting that everyone's eyes must be trained on me? Did Albus assign me as the topic of some bloody essay?" Severus snapped, turning to McGonagall.

She merely flipped the page in her _Daily Prophet_. "I'm assuming it has something to do with the rumor flying around that you lost it on a group of students and defended Sirius Black." She looked up from the article. "Did you really give all of them detention, because that is a lot of paperwork and I did hope to get some essays graded tonight."

Severus stood up and marched out, refusing to respond. Finnegan ran up to the man as he exited.

"Does this mean I have double detention?" the Irish boy asked.

Severus rubbed his face. "Triple detention. Now, go."

"Wait…"

"Do you want to make it quadruple detention?"

Finnegan sighed, hanging his head and turning to go back to the Slytherin table. With all the commotion happening near the Slytherin table, Sirius and the three Gryffindors snuck out, going up to the DADA classroom to get Remus. Harry threw the invisibility cloak over the five of them, still showing the group's feet.

"Ow! Padfoot!" Harry moaned as Sirius accidently stepped on his foot.

"Sorry," Sirius said, grimacing. This had seemed so much easier as a dog.

"Remind me again why we all had to hide under the cloak?" Draco said as they stopped in front of one of the abandoned potions classrooms.

"To avoid detection." Sirius rapped his knuckles on the door.

They waited a few minutes, and all paraded through the door-still under the cloak-when it opened. The dark man sighed and held his head in his hands as the little group threw off the fabric and made themselves known.

"Black…" Severus paused and sighed. He rubbed his eyes. "You work here. You had every reason to come down here at any time, out in the open. Why, oh why, did the five of you have to hide under one invisibility cloak?"

Sirius smiled shyly. "Good to see you, too, Spots. And in answer to your question, for old time's sake."

Draco and Harry scowled at Sirius.

"You mean, we didn't have to fit the five of us under the invisibility cloak?" Draco whined.

Harry huffed. "I didn't have to get my foot stepped on?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Are we here to talk about the logic of sneaking five bodies down to the dungeons rather than four, or are we here to figure out what to do with Harry's little problem?"

"At least it's not a furry one." Draco mumbled. Remus looked hurt and directed a scowl at Draco. "Sorry, I'm useless after eleven o'clock at night, as well."

Remus glanced at his watch. "It's only seven."

"Same thing."

Severus rolled his eyes. "We are here to both fix Harry's problem and speak logically. Now, Remus, you know Harry is a horcrux. As a horcrux, he carries a part of Voldemort's soul in him. To defeat Voldemort, we must destroy the horcrux. The only problem is that to destroy the horcrux, we must destroy the container to a point that it is no longer salvageable. Now that we have stated the problem, which one of you would like to come up with the solution?"

All remained silent.

"Well, technically," Hermione started slowly, "the container is the scar. So, if we destroy the scar to the point it can no longer be salvaged, that should meet the requirements to destroy the horcrux. I know a high-voltage laser that could do the trick nicely."

Harry eyes widened in horror. "Are you saying we destroy my face?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, a highly focused laser could easily destroy the scar without affecting your face."

Severus shook his head. "Miss Granger, while that may work on any old scar, it will not work on a cursed scar. There is a magic behind it that no muggle technology can destroy."

"We could take some basilisk venom and insert it into Harry's scar." Draco said, cleaning his fingernails with a potions knife.

"All the while killing me? Isn't that what we're trying to avoid here?" Harry's voice raised, cracking near the end.

"Well, actually, that's exactly what we need to do," Remus said, scratching his chin. "However, we need to make it so that you don't actually die."

"Where are you going with this, Moony?" Sirius asked nervously.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you just said I needed to die, but didn't need to die. That makes no sense."

Remus shook his head. "No, you don't get it. All we need to do is make your body think you're dead. We need to do something that tricks your body into believing it no longer has a beating heart keeping it alive. We need to…"

"Stop his heart and restart it!" Hermione finished for him, eyes widening at the suggestion. "Of course, it's so simple. We just need him to be legally dead. That would satisfy the requirements of destruction for the horcrux, it would leave his body, and then we can restart his heart and get it beating again."

"Are you really suggesting we kill my godson?" Sirius turned to Severus. "Please tell me you agree with me: this is ridiculous."

Severus shook his head. "I don't necessarily like it. It isn't without risk." He shrugged. "However, muggles do it every day. It's used in muggle surgeries, and it is standard practice in the medical world to restart hearts when they stop. I could see it working. However, it's not enough to use CPR to get his heart pumping. How would we restart it, Miss Granger?"

Hermione's brow creased. "Whatever it is, it needs to use electricity. Electric shock is the best way to restart a heart."

Draco scowled at the girl. "What are you suggesting, that we Crucio Harry?"

Hermione smiled, eyes sparkling.

Remus nodded. "Yes, that should do the trick."

Sirius mouth dropped. "No! We are NOT killing my godson, waiting five seconds, and then CRUCIO'ing him back to life."

Hermione shook her head.

"Of course, we wouldn't wait five seconds." Sirius' shoulders slumped in relief. "We'd have to wait for more than a minute to actually make sure the horcrux left." Hermione explained. "He can go for five minutes without any actual brain damage."

Sirius shook his head furiously. "NO!"

Severus stood in front of the distressed man. "Black, understand this. I love Harry, too. I don't want anything bad to happen to him. However, he's on borrowed time right now. We both know who is out there at this moment plotting ways to kill him. This is the only way we can have control and can protect him. We have to do this."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "This is not the only way. It can't be."

"Do you have any suggestions, Padfoot?" Remus asked.

Sirius stared at the ground. "What if we can't bring him back? What if it doesn't work?"

Remus' Adam's apple bobbed. "That might be a risk we have to take. At least this way, we'll be prepared for it and have been able to make our peace with it."

Silence stretched as the occupants in the room contemplated the ramifications of this statement.

"I'm sitting right here, you know." Harry jumped up and waved his hands. Everyone stared at him. "Don't I get a say in what happens to me?"

Severus nodded. "What would you like, Harry?"

"In a perfect world? Not to die, not to be a horcrux, not to be the boy-who-lived?" Harry's fingers ticked off each point. He let out a sigh. "But this sounds like the best idea we have. I'm willing to do it if you're willing to try."

Silence stretched through the room for a long moment.

Finally, Remus clapped, breaking the somber noiselessness. "Okay, I say there's no time like the present. Get a good night's sleep, everyone. Tomorrow, we are going to kill Harry Potter." The lycanthrope chuckled. "Should I send out invitations to the local death eaters?" The crowd glared. He scrunched his nose. "Tough crowd."

Sirius walked over to Harry and hugged him.

"I can't lose you, too." He muttered into Harry's shoulder. Harry squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears from flowing down his cheeks.

"You won't."

The next day, Harry trudged down to Severus' private chambers around eight in the morning. His heart beat wildly in his throat. What if they couldn't get the horcrux out? What if they could, but only at the cost to his life?

The-boy-who-lived shook his head. Truth be told, he was lucky to get this second chance at life. Technically, he should've died years ago. The prophecy said that he was supposed to die in order to kill Voldemort. If it meant for good, so be it.

Harry smiled, a renewed sense of dignity and calm rushing through him. He would be able to face this no matter what happened. He nodded, walking through the portrait hole.

"We could give him basilisk venom," Remus said. Harry's eyes widened. Well, there went that thought.

"That wouldn't just stop his heart. The venom would damage important organs," Sirius said, brow furrowed.

"Well, we're crucioing him back to life, we could just Avada Kedavra him."

"So, have me perform two Unforgivables in one day on my godson?" Severus asked as he continued making the couch comfortable. If he was going to kill his godson, might as well give the boy something soft and warm to lay on.

Sirius shook his head. "We'd never ask that of you, Spots. Besides, in theory, the killing curse separates soul from body immediately. There is no coming back from the killing curse."

Remus rubbed his eyes. "We could strangle him."

"And who would do the strangling?" Sirius threw his hands in the air. "None of us could possibly do that to Harry."

"We could always wait until the full moon and leave me in the Shrieking Shack with Moony." Harry mumbled as he sat down on the couch.

"No," Severus said, shaking his head, "that would endanger the lives of everyone near the school. Besides, there are plenty of curses that stop the heart inadvertently. I will be performing a stronger version of Petrificus Totalus that will paralyze the heart. Once you pass out from oxygen deprivation, we will wait thirty seconds. After that, I will shock you back into consciousness and see if it worked."

Remus and Sirius glared at the man.

"Why didn't you tell us the plan before we began discussing it?" Sirius growled at Severus.

Severus smirked. "It's too much fun to see the two last Marauders plotting the demise of another human being. I always wondered how you did it. Clearly, Potter and Wormtail were the brains behind this operation."

"Well, it's not like we have a lot of experience in plotting how to kill someone, Severus," Remus said, arms crossed.

The potions master snorted. "No, Black seems to have a knack for it all on his own."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I thought we got past that, Spots."

"Yes, because someone getting past their own near-death experience is a walk in the park." Severus mumbled. He sighed and watched Harry close his eyes.

"I'm ready."

The gang looked down at the young boy. He was too young to be dealing with this sort of thing.

The whole room grew quiet. Severus nodded to the other two, who placed their hands on Harry's legs. It was a means of moral support and a safety measure.

Severus waved his wand. "Duro."

Within seconds, Harry couldn't breath. His eyes widened and he fought against the restraints. He struggled, trying to get air, but he could not. Very soon, everything faded into darkness.

Sirius didn't know he had it in him to ignore his godson's pleading eyes. He wanted to tell Severus to knock it off, that he could see his godson was in pain, but he knew he couldn't. He just sat there, helpless, trying to be strong for Harry. When Harry passed out, all eyes went to his scar.

After thirty excruciating seconds, a black wisp of smoke floated out of Harry's scar. It hissed, screeched, and dissipated. Severus quickly whispered Pietro antistrofi before motioning for Remus to come up to Harry's chest.

"Now, I will Crucio him every ten seconds. You should spend the intermediate time doing chest compressions," Severus said. Remus nodded. "Clear! Crucio."

Severus held it for a second before dropping it. Remus began to press Harry's chest.

Ten seconds went by.

"Clear."

Remus moved away.

"Crucio."

Remus began chest compressions again.

"Clear."

Remus moved.

"Crucio."

They continued for over a minute, with no results.

Sirius paced, his scowl deepening. He threw his hands in the air. "It's not working."

Severus glared at him. "We still have two more minutes, Black."

Sirius grabbed the dark man's bicep.

"No, it's not doing any good!" Sirius bit back. Severus snarled.

"Let me go, Black!" Severus growled.

"No," Sirius said, tightening his grip on the man. "Try something else."

"There is nothing else," Severus said, wrenching his arm away.

"There has to be."

"No."

"A potion, another spell, anything," Sirius said, his eyes sparkling.

"Black, shut up. I need to concentrate."

"Try something else."

"I told you, there is nothing else."

Sirius threw his hands in the air. "Then, you killed our godson," he said, his voice cracking.

"Sirius, calm down," Severus said, turning and looking the animagus in the eye. He spun back around to look at the still body. It had been five minutes. He wasn't breathing.

"You killed our godson," Sirius said quietly, his face dark.

Severus closed his eyes. "Sirius…"

The animagus jumped the potions master, snarling as he bit at the man's overly large nose.

"Padfoot, no," Remus said, moving to get between the dog and the professor.

"Dragon."

Both men snapped their heads in the direction of the couch. There, gasping for air, was Harry Potter, sparkling green eyes and all.

"Harry," they exclaimed. Sirius and Severus ran to him, hugging him together.

Remus stood off to the side, smirking. "I knew it'd work."

The two godfathers glared at him.

"Did it work? Is it gone?" Harry asked, eyes widening.

Severus nodded and Sirius shrugged.

"Well, it should be. Something came out of that scar of yours," Sirius said, pointing to his godson's forehead.

Harry smiled. "Brilliant. What'd it look like?"

"What have previous horcruxes looked like when you destroyed them?" Remus asked, sitting down at the end of the couch.

The boy shrugged. "It was different each time." His smiled faded and his eyes dimmed. "Oh. I never thought…"

"What, Prongslet?" Sirius asked, brow furrowed in concern.

"I just never realized…without him, I'll lose my ability to speak and understand Parseltongue, won't I?"

Severus smirked and walked over to the kitchen. Moments later, he returned with something wriggling through his fingers.

"Draco wanted me to check and see if you two could still talk the moment we were sure everything worked out correctly," Severus explained, holding up Severys. Harry's godfather placed the snake on Harry's lap.

Severys scooted up to Harry's chest and his tongue touched the boy's cheek.

":Draco said you would be doing something very dangerous today and that I needed to be here to keep you from doing something stupid.:" Severys hissed.

Harry smirked. ":Well, I'll tell him you were very brave and did keep me from doing something stupid. Although, I didn't do anything. It was all Uncle Sev.:"

All three men stared at him, waiting for a verdict.

The boy smiled. "He said Draco told him to keep me from doing something stupid

All three men cheered. Sirius patted Harry on the back.

"And here we thought the Parseltongue was a part of the horcrux. All along, it was all you," Sirius said. He paused, staring off into space. "How do you think you came by such a unique skill?"

"Well, I am related to the Peverells, who are descendants of Slytherin himself. I probably got it from there," Harry said with a shrug.

Remus' eyes narrowed. "Wait," his brow furrowed, "wouldn't that mean James would have had it?"

Sirius shrugged. "Well, maybe he did. I mean, how many times did you see him come in contact with a snake-present company excluded?"

Severus scowled. "I resent that."

"Once a snake, always a snake…" Sirius smiled. "But, maybe that's not always a bad thing."


	70. Sixth Year Christmas, Part I

A/N: Hey all! So sorry for the confusion! We are NOT stopping Fixed Points because we began our REVISED Fixed Points. We just realized that the first four and a half years were not up to the standard we've arrived at as writers, and so with all my free time sitting around staring at children (yes, that is my job. No, it's not as creepy as it sounds), I've been going in and editing. Marauderfascination and I are still coming out with new chapters, which will be added to this story.

To make up for the fact I did not post the previous chapter in time, I posted this one, as well. Merry Christmas!

Sixth Year Christmas

"No, Sirius. I've told you a thousand times, mistletoe does not go in the middle of the room," Hermione said, huffing. "Nor in the middle of the kitchen, nor in the middle of the library."

Sirius' mouth dropped, and the hand holding the offending sprig slackened. "But 'Mione, you don't know the opportunities it could create."

Luna smirked. "If you want to snog Professor Snape that badly…"

"No. Even if, Moony's the more likely candidate."

"Sirius," Severus said, rubbing his eyes, "you are about to bring a daughter into the world. Now is not the time to create more chaos."

"A daughter?" Harry asked, eyes widening as he dropped the garland he and Draco were hanging. "I'm gonna have a goddaughter?"

Sirius smiled. "Yep, found out last Tuesday. Little Siria."

"And you waited this long to tell us?"

"Yeah," Draco snickered, "would've thought that would make it into the newest episode."

"For the last time, Mr. Black, your DADA class is not a muggle soap opera," Severus said.

Sirius' mouth drooped. "Spots, we've been over this many times. I know my class isn't a muggle soap opera."

"Yeah." Harry's eyes sparkled. "It's a magical one."

Severus rubbed his eyes, turning to Draco. "Why did you have to be related to the two most insolent men on the planet?"

"Harry's not that closely related," Draco said, placing a wreath on the front door.

"No, but you chose him to be your best friend."

"Enough talking," Hermione said, pushing a string of fairy lights into Severus' hand. "If you're here, you're working. We have under a week until Christmas." She pulled out a PDA, using the stylus to click through a few screens.

Draco paused, quirking a brow. "What's the use in decorating only a week before Christmas?"

Hermione continued on her device. "Draco, I love you, but you're an idiot."

Severus turned to Sirius. "Where's Remus in all this?"

"He's hiding in my office under the pretense of grading papers," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Couldn't he hide in his own room?"

"You don't think that's the first place Hermione looked?"

"This is insane," Severus said, rubbing his eyes. "Miss Granger, who asked you to head up the décor committee of the Black/Lupin residence?"

Hermione furrowed her brow. "No one?"

"So what gives you the right to do so?"

"Did you expect two bachelors to have the slightest idea how to hang tinsel?"

"What's tinsel?" Sirius asked, trying to untangle himself from the length of garland he'd spun himself into.

Severus growled. " _Accio_." The garland flew toward the dark man, forcing Sirius to spin, the greenery unravelling itself forcefully. Finally, when they reached the end, the dog animagus tripped, falling flat on his face.

"Thanks Spots," Sirius mumbled into the floor.

The portrait swung open, nearly throwing Draco across the room in the process.

"Whoa," Draco said, scowling at the intruder. "You could have given a warning."

The young witch blushed. "Ah, sorry Drakey-poo. Didn't think anyone would be hanging on the door." She walked over and planted a kiss on Severus, deepening it almost immediately.

When she released him, the man's cheeks reddened.

Sirius wolf-whistled. "Never thought you'd be such the ladies' man, Spots."

"Now, now, Sirius Orion Black, be nice," Dora said with a wink.

"Uhm-not to be rude-but I'm here, too," Neville said, waving shyly.

"Oh, yeah, almost forgot." Dora smacked her head. She grabbed Neville by the shoulders. "Look who I saw wandering around the halls so close to curfew."

"Oh, shoot, it's almost curfew. How could I have forgotten?" Hermione glared at her PDA. "We still have so much work to get done."

"Don't worry, Mione. This was all planned." Sirius smiled. "We're having a sleepover!"

"We're what?" Severus asked, mouth dropping.

"That's why I invited Dora."

Snape crossed his arms. "Sirius Black, no."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"It'll also be reason to pull your certification."

Sirius' brow furrowed. "What certification?"

Severus sighed, shaking his head. "Why did Dumbledore let you teach?"

"Because literally no one else wanted the position, and that included the suicidal werewolf that taught before."

"I was not suicidal," Remus called, walking through the portrait. He gasped as his two quasi-godsons ran into his midsection.

"Moony, you had no friends…or lovers."

"That doesn't mean he was suicidal," Severus said, crossing his arms. "I didn't have any friends or lovers for a long time."

Draco scowled. "Then how are you my godfather?"

"Because Lucius has some strange obsession with me." Dora quirked an eyebrow at her boyfriend. Severus rolled his eyes. "Not like that. He admires my potions skills."

"Those unruly fans, again?" Dora asked, eyes sparkling.

"Oh, that's what they meant by unruly fans," Harry said, mouth dropping.

Luna walked over to him, patting him on the back. "There, there, Harry."

Severus sighed. "Come now, let's take the ducklings back to their dorms."

Sirius stomped his foot. "No, I worked hard on planning this sleepover. I contacted Andy and everything."

"You contacted Andy?" Remus asked.

"Well, of course. Don't you have to contact the parents when you plan sleepovers?" Sirius furrowed his brow. "I need to get the practice in. Siria's going to have quite a lot."

"Okay, Black, here's lesson number one of parenting. Once they reach the age of seventeen, you are no longer responsible to contact their parents," Severus said, rubbing his eyes.

"My parents received a lot owls from McGonagall after I turned seventeen."

"School's different, Sirius."

"Well, how was I supposed to know? I didn't really have great examples." Sirius crossed his arms. "But it worked out well, killing two birds with one stone. The Black Christmas dinner's here this year."

Severus paled. "You didn't invite the other Blacks, did you?"

"No, I don't intend on having a death eater party."

"However, those do tend to get pretty interesting," Draco said, smiling. "You should see Crabbe doing karaoke."

Harry quirked a brow. "The younger or the older?"

"Both."

"Enough, boys," Remus said, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips. "Do you want that sleepover or not?"

"Lupin, you can't be serious," Severus said. He pointed a finger at Sirius. "Don't." Sirius pouted, but remained silent.

"It was my idea."

"Why?"

Remus shrugged. "Creating positive teacher-student relations?"

"Those aren't the types of relationships we should be fostering."

"We won't be in the same rooms."

Severus scowled. "What is the layout, then?"

Remus pulled out a floorplan. "Girls in my room, boys in Sirius' room, and teachers in the living room."

"Where's Dora going to be?" Draco asked.

Remus' eyes widened. "Yeah, Sirius didn't tell me he was inviting her." He turned to Severus. "I guess that means you get to decide."

Severus grew very still. The only movement came from his jaw, which spent much time bobbing up and down. His eyes glassed over, and his hands clenched into fists.

Dora surveyed him. "I think you broke him."

"Kiss him," Luna said, "I believe it will break his stupor."

Dora pecked him on the lips. Severus shook his head.

"And another thing, it is entirely inappropriate to…" he scanned the room, eyeing the occupants. Their blank stares told him they weren't really listening. "Oh, never mind." He turned to Dora. "Where would you like to sleep?"

"Well, I like sleeping with my boyfriend," Dora said, a smile ghosting over her lips, "but seeing as it causes you psychological pain to do so in front of your students, I believe I will count myself as a girl tonight."

They all went to bed, and for once, sugarplums danced in Harry's head, rather than a death eater or a dark lord. The group failed to see the excitement in it all at three in the morning, when he woke them all up to tell them he just had a dream of Voldemort in a Santa suit, rather than some horrid vision.

Draco rubbed his eyes groggily. "Nope, that's probably just a vision of the Christmas party."

Severus loudly whispered back. "Sh, Draco, we're not supposed to talk about that."

"You're right," Draco said, a finger pressed to his lips. "Shh, there's no Voldemort dressed as Santa."

Dora turned on her side, now able to whisper in Severus' ear. "So, wait, is there or isn't there?"

Sirius popped over on her other side. "When did you get here?"

"Black, go back to sleep," Severus said, pushing the man onto his back. "And in deference to your question, dear, you never want to give the dark lord firewhiskey."

"Oh no, I do," she fell onto her back. Suddenly, she sat up. "Guys, I figured out how to win the war."

"How did you know there's going to be a war?" Neville called out, turning on the living room lights.

Hermione opened the door grouchily, hair askew, about to complain about the noise, but she stopped as her eyes widened. "When did you get electricity in here, Sirius?"

"Looking lovely as ever, Hermione," Sirius said.

The brunette glared. "Shove off."

"Shh, Neville, you're giving away the secret," Draco slurred.

"What secret?" Dora asked.

"Uncle Sev's batman, shh."

"I'm dating batman?"

"Yes, dear," Severus said, patting her head before trying to push her back to bed. "You're dating batman. Now go to sleep, and you'll find tomorrow that this is all a dream."

"But wait," Neville asked, arms crossed. "When did you tell her about the future? Did she know before me?"

"Neville," the group said in unison.

Dora shook her head. "No, Neville, come right here. Be my best friend."

"But aren't I your best friend?"

"Not now, Sirius. Dora's 'bout to figure this case out," the metamorphmagus said.

"Alright," Severus said with a sigh, "if we promise to tell you tomorrow, can we all go back to sleep?"

"We are not going to tell her anything."

"Put a sock in it, Granger." Severus growled. "I need my sleep."

"This is not helping teacher-student relations," Remus mumbled, throwing a pillow over his head.

The next morning, Luna bounced on over to the dining table, pouring herself some fresh squeezed pumpkin juice. She served herself some pancakes, making sure to pick a few blueberry filled ones out to save for Harry. Her head bopped to an imaginary tune as she skimmed through her latest edition of _The Quibbler_.

Harry scrambled to the table, yawning incessantly.

"Good morning sunshine," Luna said placing Harry's breakfast in front of him.

"Lovegood, how can you be so perky in the morning," Draco asked rubbing his eyes.

"But it's the best time to greet the day."

"The day can go shove off."

Luna smiled shrugging as she stared off at the four adults strewn across the floor. She smirked, "It looks like Sirius made himself comfortable." She pointed to the animagus who currently snuggled against the potions professor's chest, meanwhile crushing the metamorphmagus underneath his torso.

Harry yawned. "Yeah, well I think Moony developed a foot fetish," he said, watching the werewolf stroke Sirius' feet.

Draco shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he's been in love with Black's feet for years."

"Who's obsessed with Draco's feet?" Hermione asked, padding over to the table.

Harry shook his head. "I don't think it applies to all Blacks."

"We could wake Remus up and try," Luna said, staring down at Draco's bunny slippers.

Neville trudged in, yawning while pouring himself some juice. "Good morning," he said, blinking as he stared down at the floor, trying to adjust his eyes to the direct light. "Uhm, Draco, do you know you and Professor Snape have matching slippers?"

Draco smiled, chest puffed out. "Yes, I bought them for us."

Harry sighed, looking over at the still slumbering crew. "I say we wake 'em up."

"Wait!" Hermione ran back into Remus' room, pulling out both her muggle and magical cameras. "Next year's Christmas card." She took a few shots before nodding. "Proceed."

"Ooh, I have an idea," Draco said, turning to Hermione. "Do you still keep a regular supply of Polyjuice?"

"Is Harry still fighting Voldemort?" Hermione crossed her arms. "There's your answer."

"Perfect." Draco rubbed his hands together. "We should turn into Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted. Totally scare Uncle Sev out of his wits, and completely creep out Sirius."

Neville raised his hand. "But we don't have their hair."

"Oh, yeah."

Luna's eyes widened. "We could be death eaters."

"That's the same problem, dear," Harry said, eyebrows furrowing.

"Actually, I have some death eater hair."

"You do?" Draco asked, eyes narrowing.

Luna smiled. "Yes, all the ones we captured."

"Did you think it was a good tactical decision? You know, throw off the enemy with access to their DNA?" Hermione asked, smiling.

The blonde shook her head. "Nope, I just did it for fun. Grabbed some scissors while the aurors were busy and cut off chunks of hair."

That's fun? Harry mouthed to Draco, touching his own hair. Draco rolled his eyes, giggling.

"But we don't have one from Bellatrix, do we?" Hermione asked, sighing. "She was a fun one to be, I have to say."

Draco's eyes shot toward Dora. "You know, Polyjuice takes on the base form, not metamorphmagus properties."

"What are you getting at ferret?" Harry asked, eyes narrowing.

"Let's just say, Dora didn't have to change much to meet Bella's form," Draco said with a shrug. "We just have to get a hair off of her."

"Oh," Luna said, hopping up and padding out of the room. The four Gryffindors stared at each other, faces scrunched in concern. She didn't collect others' hair, did she?

The Ravenclaw ran in triumphantly. "She shared a room with us for part of the night. Found this on her pillow."

Sirius stretched, pushing his face up towards warmth. He scowled. Why was his pillow moving? He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the light, silver met black.

"Get off," Severus said, gritting his teeth.

Sirius jumped, startling the witch underneath him, while Remus toppled over.

"Moony, why's my foot wet?" Sirius asked, rubbing the offending appendage on the nearest blanket.

"I'm a cuddler, Sirius. You know this."

Dora furrowed her brow. "How do you know?"

Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "We shared a dorm for seven years. You find out a lot about a person. James talked in his sleep and Pettigrew had a slight sleepwalking problem."

"We once found him in the Slytherin common room."

Severus scowled. "How did you get into the Slytherin common room?"

"It was second year. Lily told us," Sirius said, shrugging.

"You knew where the common room was this whole time, and yet you never attacked it?"

"Well, not obviously. Although, I do have to say, the skeletons playing mariachi at midnight on Saturdays was totally Remus' idea."

Severus turned to the lycanthrope. "So, you're the reason I never got sleep fifth year." Remus stretched, moving to the bathroom. "I could have gotten an O in Transfiguration."

"We shared that class with you, Spots. You never would have gotten an O."

Remus walked back into the room. "Uhm, guys, did any of you see the girls walk out of the suite?"

Dora squinted. "Weren't we all asleep?" She shook her head. "Don't all professors' suites have wards that warn of comings and goings?"

Severus scrunched his nose. "Normally, yes." He sighed. "But after last night's events, I might have put up a silencing charm."

Sirius shrugged. "So they left to go exploring."

Remus shook his head. "Yeah, so, we could say they walked through the portrait hole, but look over in the kitchen," he pointed to the dining table, "there's half-eaten food."

"Yeah, well," Dora said, shrugging, "what teenager usually cleans up after themselves?"

"Do you know Hermione Granger?"

Suddenly, the portrait burst open. A puffed up Lucius Malfoy waltzed in, sneering at the four frozen in front of him.

" _Expelliarmus_ ," the blond said, grabbing all the wands.

Bellatrix stalked over, glaring at the potions professor. "Snape, I always knew you were a traitor. Sleeping around with a little mudblood."

Sirius jumped up, and he and Remus held Severus back as the man stretched his hands out towards the witch's neck.

"How could you say that about your own niece?" Remus asked, trying to push the dour potions professor behind him.

"Bella, this is getting far too taxing," Nott said, walking in, leading Crabbe and Goyle through before shutting the portrait.

"Ug," Goyle said, glancing around the room. He sent a body binding spell at Sirius.

"Hey." Sirius fell to the ground.

"Incarcerous," Crabbe said, ropes trapping Remus to the nearest chair.

Bellatrix grabbed Tonks, throwing her onto the couch before sticking her there; meanwhile, Lucius wrangled Severus into a chokehold, holding it for a few seconds so the man blacked out long enough to be shackled to a chair.

Severus shook his head, quickly recovering. "Lucius? How did you escape Azkaban?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Snape? I manage to incapacitate you and your band of misfits, and all you can ask is how I received a 'get out of jail free' card?"

"Excuse me, that's marauders," Sirius said, wriggling about as he tried to loosen his bonds. He turned toward the kitchen. "Severus, did you know this was going to happen?"

"Yes, of course, Padfoot, and I told absolutely no one."

"Really?"

"No, you idiot."

Remus sighed. "This is not the time to argue, you two."

"Aw, is the wittle baby wolf getting upset mummy and daddy are fighting?" Bellatrix asked, waving her wand lazily.

"Wait, who's mummy and who's daddy?" Sirius asked.

Tonks turned to glare at her cousin. "Seriously?"

"Well, it is in my name…"

"Black," Severus growled.

"Yep, that one, too."

"Enough," Nott said, rubbing his eyes. "We have a mission to accomplish, and none of you are helping."

"Oh, sorry we're not more accommodating," Remus said, glaring. "Had we known you were coming, we would have set out a kettle with some scones."

Severus growled. "We are in the presence of an auror, an ex-auror, a werewolf, and an ex-death eater. How did we get ourselves into this situation?"

"Ah, so you admit it," Crabbe said, pointing his wand toward the dour potions professor.

"Well, I figured, this is the most compromising position I could be found in, civilly discussing teenage habits with some of the most well-known members of the Order."

"So, you admit to loving Harry Potter?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "He's my godson, of course."

"More than Draco Black?"

Severus scowled. "How is that relevant?"

Lucius glared. "Just answer the question."

"Well, they both have their merits…"

"Severus," Dora sighed, "are we really going to get into this now?"

"Well, they did ask…"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Ignore them. They're both idiots." She turned to Remus. "Now, our mission is to torture sensitive information out of you concerning one Order of the Phoenix."

Sirius growled. "Good luck. We'll never cave."

She ignored him. "Now, we heard from reliable sources that a Professor Black is expecting a daughter some time in late April. Is this true, wolf?"

Remus' brow furrowed. "Why are you asking me? Do I look like Professor Black?"

"Answer the question, or I will _Crucio_ Black."

"Seriously? Shouldn't it be me? You know, since that's who you want the information from?"

"Yes, but your pain tolerance is much too high."

Remus shrugged. "Fair enough. I guess it is appropriate motivation."

Bella dropped her wand a bit. "Thank you, I thought so, too."

Severus side-eyed LeStrange. "Thank you? I didn't know you knew those words."

"Well, I am a proper pureblood."

"Yes, and we use our manners in an interrogation."

"Shut it, Snape. It's her first time leading," Lucius said, crossing his arms.

Severus' eyebrows knit together. "Since when do you defend her?"

"Shut up." Lucius turned to Remus. "You still haven't answered the question." He leveled his wand at Sirius.

"Yes," Remus said, his breath quickening. "He has a daughter coming. April 27th. And from the way the muggle technology shuttered, she's a witch." His eyes widened. "You wouldn't think of killing a magical person…not when there are so few left."

"She's a mudblood," Goyle said, scowling.

"She has Black blood." Sirius growled. "She is still a proper witch, and I will not have you talking about her that way." He fought against his bindings once more.

"Well, that answers that question," Nott said, pulling out a parchment. "Onto the next one: Snape, is it true the wolf has a serious girlfriend?"

"Why would I know?" Severus asked.

"We still can't torture the beast."

"That's not what I asked. How should I know?" Snape sighed. "Currently, I am a quadruple spy, caring for two godsons, while taking care of a man-child and his impending progeny, and have my own relationship to juggle. I'm a little busy."

Crabbe leveled the wand at Dora.

Remus sighed. "Her name's Annie."

Nott checked off another item on the list.

Lucius smiled ruefully, looking over the man's shoulder. "Here's a good one: Snape, which do you like more—the wolf or the mutt?"

Severus furrowed his brow. "Is this a legitimate question?" He shook his head. "Why would the dark lord send his first-rate team of death eaters to ask these mundane questions?"

Nott shrugged. "We volunteered."

"Why?"

"We have nothing better to do the week before Christmas."

"Three out of the five of you have children to go home to," Sirius said, maneuvering himself to face the man. "I should know, I teach them." He scowled at Crabbe and Goyle. "How did your sons make it past O.W.L.s? In fact, how did they make it past first year?"

"We've been wondering that ourselves," Goyle said, shaking his head.

"And finally," Bellatrix said, stalking toward Dora, side-eyeing Severus. "Do you use a condom when defiling this little mudblood?"

Sirius perked up. "Yeah, actually, Spots, I have been wondering about your methods of birth control."

"Shut up, Sirius," Severus said, struggling against his chains. "And how is that at all relevant to the Dark Lord's plan to rule the world?"

Dora stared, scowling into Bella's eyes. "You know, I always heard I looked a lot like my aunt, but I always thought my hair was straighter than hers."

Remus quirked an eyebrow. "We're about to die at the hands of death eaters, and you're commenting on hair?"

Dora tilted her head. "I also never thought her so well-versed in muggle contraception."

"Well," Bella said, sputtering, "I never. _Crucio_." She pointed her wand at Lucius.

The blonde stared at her for a full ten seconds, brow scrunched in confusion and betrayal. She shrugged and he rolled his eyes, falling to the floor and flopping.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that's not how that works."

"Shut up," the blond yelled from the floor. "You've never experienced it."

"But I've seen my fair share."

At that moment, the Polyjuice wore off, and in front of them stood Hermione, Harry, Draco, Neville, and a smiling Luna. The room fell silent.

A slight giggle fluttered through the air. Gradually, it turned into a hearty laugh. All eyes dashed to Remus, who fell over in the chair and now laid hyperventilating in his spot. Dora stretched toward the wolf, butt still firmly stuck to the couch.

"Remus? You okay?" she asked, reaching out.

Hermione's brow furrowed, watching the auror's struggle. "Do you think we should release them?"

"All but Severus," Harry said.

Sirius glared. "I love you Prongslet, but you really can't trust my actions right now."

Hermione ended the sticking charm on Dora.

"We can trust you, right?" the young girl asked.

Dora's eyes narrowed. "How the hell did you do that?"

Draco turned to Hermione. "I say we can't trust her."

"Hermione's still brewing Polyjuice and you shed too easily," Luna said, eyes rolling.

"And the rest of the death eaters?"

"You have your hobbies; I have mine."

Severus huffed. "I fail to see the humor in this situation, Miss Lovegood."

"Moony does," Harry said, pointing to the lycanthrope.

The wolf swallowed his last giggle. "I'm not laughing because it's funny. It's a coping mechanism in intense situations."

Sirius' eyes widened. "Oh, right, like the Halloween of 77?"

"Exactly."

Severus quirked a brow. "What happened the Halloween of 77?"

"Shut up, Sirius."

The animagus shrugged. "He took a practice test for N.E.W.T.s and failed the whole thing."

The werewolf scowled. "Sirius."

"Later found out we switched the keys on him."

"Sirius."

The man smiled. "Ended up acing it. Laughed loads before nearly strangling James."

Remus opened his mouth but paused. "Could you imagine James' reaction to all this?"

Dora sighed. "I'm surrounded by idiots." She rubbed her eyes. "Shouldn't you three be more concerned a group of sixteen year olds brewed Polyjuice?"

Severus shrugged. "It's not their first time and it probably won't be their last. First lesson in child-rearing, you must pick your battles."

"I'll takes notes on that," Dora said, turning to the group in question, "after we deal with five miscreants who could have caused a terror incident. Did you think about what would have happened if we got our wands at any point?"

"That's why we took your wands the first chance we had," Luna said, smiling.

Dora shook her head. "I'm done." She threw up her hands. "Can I have my wand back?"

"But we haven't told you the secret."

"Luna," Hermione whispered hoarsely.

"At this point, I don't care if you killed the minister of magic…"

"But, they time-traveled," Luna said, brow furrowing. "How can you not be interested?"

Dora stopped on her way to the door. "Because I didn't know that." She turned back and moved to the couch.

"Well," Severus said, "if you're going to tell her the whole truth, I say you put a kettle on and pass around some scones. And if it's not too much trouble, maybe you could release Sirius, Remus, and me?"

Sirius shook his head. "Still don't trust myself, Spots. I love my godson too much."

Remus shrugged. "I just want to know how you all chose who was whom."

Hermione sighed, dropping once they'd released the three professors.

"Well, Draco was obvious. I'd been Bellatrix once before, when we broke into Gringotts to get the Hufflepuff horcrux." The brunette scrunched her nose. "I think Harry was Crabbe Junior last second year, when they broke into Slytherin."

"Who what now?" Dora asked, eyes popping out of her head.

"Ron and Harry, when they were trying to prove Draco was the heir of Slytherin."

"But, but…" Dora furrowed her brow. "Draco isn't in Slytherin."

"He was last time."

"And you all hate Ron."

Harry shook his head. "We didn't last time."

"Wait," Draco scowled, "I did."

"Yes, ferret, your powers of intuition are astounding."

"I asked to be Nott," Neville said, shrugging. "Not that it matters."

Luna's eyes sparkled. "I thought it would be funny playing Goyle."


	71. Sixth Year Christmas, Part II

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this didn't come out before. I was planning on uploading it for Christmas, but was side-tracked. Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

As a side note, my sister and I felt it was necessary to now announce this has officially become a crack fic. We are sorry for those who truly wanted a more angsty story (I know I love them). Marauderfascination is a complete Dora Tonks personality, and I kind of play off of that (interestingly enough, I'm a total Severus!). To that end, we also plan on doing a next gen fic after we finish this one up (using our next gen, not canon). Let us know what you think!

Enjoy a Tonks' Christmas!

Black smoke billowed out from the oven.

"Sirius, what time did you put the mashed potatoes on the stove?" Harry asked, cutting up cucumbers.

The animagus scowled. "Stove? I put them in the oven."

"The oven?" Hermione's eyes popped. "Then where'd you put the turkey?"

"In the fridge."

Remus' mouth dropped open. "Then what did you do with my pie?"

"You mean," Sirius furrowed his brow, "it's not supposed to go on the stove."

Draco and Severus just stared at each other, shaking their heads. When Sirius had arranged for the Black Christmas dinner to be at Hogwarts, he may have gotten a little over-zealous. He immediately told the gang he wanted it to be authentically muggle for Ted's sake, meaning no house-elves and everything made with electronic appliances. As soon as the pre-meal planning had ended, Draco and Severus had a meeting of their own.

"I'm really glad you agreed with me, Uncle Sev," Draco said, handling Severys. The snake slithered up his neck and around his bicep. "Dobby's eyes almost bugged when he saw the order I had for the house-elves. I almost feared he'd take on the entire task himself to appease the great Harry Potter."

Severus rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have asked one of them to take some of your girlfriend's Polyjuice? I'd pay good galleons for one of those elves to pretend to be me for an hour or two today."

"Dora'd notice."

"Not soon enough," Severus said, shaking his head.

"You have to meet Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted some time."

"Yes, at the wedding."

Draco's eyes widened. "There's going to be a wedding?" Severus slipped his hand into his robe pocket and pulled out a small, black box. "You're going to be my cousin?"

"Let's not think of the logistics right now," Severus said, sighing as he placed the box back in his robe. "Besides, it's only if she says yes."

"She'll only say yes if she knows you put the time and effort into asking her dad," Luna said, leaning in to kiss Severys on the head.

"Miss Lovegood, what are you doing here?" Severus asked.

She shrugged. "Enjoying the view."

"I invited her," Harry said, walking into the living carrying a salad bowl. He leaned over and kissed her hair.

"And me, not that it matters," Neville said, sitting down on the settee.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Stop being a drama queen, Nev."

"Just saying. I existed more in your past life."

"Yeah, well, we weren't so involved in ourselves," Hermione shrugged.

Draco's head bobbed. "That's actually very surprising."

"Well, Hermione and I weren't. Can't say the same for ferret," Harry said.

"I was not that self-involved."

"You created a song. You spent hours in the Slytherin common room practicing it," Hermione said, arms crossed.

"About someone else."

"You composed it. You wrote the lyrics. Then, you refused to let anyone else sing it unless they could do so perfectly."

"And how is that self-involved?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She glanced behind her. "I should hardly have to say this, but dinner is a bust. Sirius decided to make cranberry sauce casserole, and we are now out of corn, sweet potatoes, marshmallows, and peas."

Severus sneered. "He expected us to eat that?"

"No," Harry shook his head, "he expected Remus to."

"He's mad."

"Not as mad as Moony was when he figured out what it was." The brunette shook his head. "Never tell Remus something's pudding when it's not."

"It was supposed to be," Sirius said, bursting into the living room.

"Then why did you add the corn and peas?"

"Well, excuse me, master chef Potter. I was just trying to be creative."

Harry crossed his arms. "I'm sorry. I thought you wanted this to be a nice dinner. If I had made that for the Dursleys, you would have had to dig me up from the backyard and piece me back together with superglue."

"Enough," Hermione said, pushing her way in-between the two. "Obviously, never expect a spoiled wizard to cook a full Christmas eve dinner."

"But what am I going to do when I have a daughter to care for?" Sirius asked, flopping into a chair.

"You have a house-elf," Remus said, throwing his hands in the air.

"But what of when he dies? Kreacher's old…"

"Then you'll have the Potter elves."

"But…"

"No, Sirius Orion Black," Severus said, jumping from his spot on the couch. "You will always have someone caring for you. You are a pureblood, firstborn, heir of a noble house. You will be fine."

"However," Neville said softly, "this little experiment in appetizing cuisine has left us without Christmas dinner."

Remus growled. "You're a student. Go join the rest of the school in the dining hall if you're so picky."

Neville's eyes widened. "What did I do?"

"Don't mind him," Severus said, sighing. "He's just hungry. I remember back from my own time at Hogwarts: never stand between Moony and a good meal." He smirked. "Never fear, we had a back-up plan."

"We?" Hermione asked, arms still crossed.

Draco rubbed the back of his head, eyes staring at the ceiling. "Uncle Sev and I thought it might be a good idea to have a Plan B."

"A Plan B?"

"Yeah…"

"Because you expected Plan A to go so terribly…"

"Now dear…"

Hermione threw her hands in the air. "You were so sure my cooking was going to be awful…"

"No," Draco said, hands held up defensively, "I was so sure Sirius' cooking was going to be awful, and Uncle Sev didn't want Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted to go hungry before he asked Dora to mar…"

Hands clapped over the blond's mouth. "What is your excuse this time, Mr. Black?" Severus asked, glaring. "It's not before seven nor is it after eleven."

"Uhm, I didn't have coffee yet?"

The potion professor rolled his eyes. "Nice try, but I'm putting you into a time-out." The blond pouted. "Just to put away your snake."

"His snake is out?" Sirius asked, surveying the room. "I don't see it."

Severys poked his head out of Luna's hair. Everyone stared at her.

"How'd he get over to you?" Neville asked.

She shrugged. "I have a way with snakes. Why do you think Severus and I get along so well?"

Remus shrugged. "Definitely not because you watch him sleep."

Before Luna could reply, the portrait swung open.

"And this is the bachelor pad," Dora said, motioning as the three Tonks walked in.

Ted smiled. "You know, Dora, we did attend this school, as well. We didn't need the full tour."

"You're telling you got to see the inside of the potion professor's rooms when you were at Hogwarts?"

"They what now?" Severus asked, eyes popping.

Andy nodded. "I do have to say, that was an added bonus." She paused. "Though, the pajama viewing was a little much."

Severus reddened. "Dora, remember that lovely talk we had with Luna concerning boundaries?" He peered over at her. "Do I need to have that talk with you?"

"What?" Dora shrugged. "They didn't believe me that you had a dragon-footy onesie."

All eyes turned to Draco.

"I was two," Draco said, hands on hips. "It was some sort of weird game with Lucius to see what Uncle Sev would put up with."

"And the answer is very alarming," Andy said, sitting down. "Nice to see you again, Severus. It's been a long time."

The professor nodded. "Yes, I don't even recall the last time."

"I do believe that was the conference concerning Charlie Weasley, Draught of the Living Death, and a poor, unsuspecting Slytherin student." Andy smiled. "I do believe you recommended Azkaban."

Dora smirked, elbowing Sirius. "We could've been roomies, Cuz."

"Better you than Bella," Sirius mumbled under his breath.

"Did I?" Severus asked, suddenly interested in the floor. "I don't recall. I tried to block out that portion of my life."

Dora's brow furrowed. "You mean…my seven years of Hogwarts?"

He shrugged. "It helps."

"Helps what?" Ted asked.

"Moving along," Sirius said, clapping. "We were going to have a gloriously muggle feast, but apparently cranberry sauce is not supposed to be mixed with corn and turkey doesn't cook in the fridge."

"Sirius," Andy sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, how many years did it take you to learn how to cook the muggle way?"

"It took me less than a week. Ted's mother was fairly accommodating."

"Fairly?" Ted asked, eyebrow quirked.

Andy elbowed him. "Anyway…" She turned to her nephew. "How are you, Draco? My, you've grown since the summer."

"Muggles call them growth spurts," Draco said with a smile. "I just call them bloody annoying."

"Draco," Hermione said, huffing. "Language."

"What? I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. Have you ever gone clothes shopping with Sirius?"

Andy smiled. "You must be Hermione."

"I must be?"

"Draco's told us so much about you."

Harry smirked. "And you could recognize her on one of her bad days." He turned to Draco. "Run."

"Oh, no. She's just the only young lady here with the beautifully curled hair and soft brown eyes." Ted glanced over at Luna. "The only other female in the room unaccounted for has blonde hair and a mischievous smirk."

Luna grinned. "I play a mean Goyle."

Andy scowled. "Is that supposed to mean something?" she asked, turning to her daughter.

Dora sat on the couch, rubbing her eyes. "Just that I need to check her stores for more death eater hair before we go today."

"Wha…?"

"Don't ask."

Harry smiled. "You're starting to sound like your boyfriend."

Dora scowled. "Don't you have a detention to be at?"

"On Christmas Eve?"

"I can make it happen."

"Uncle Sev wouldn't dare."

She frowned. "Not if I promised him what I would promise him."

Harry's mouth dropped. "What would you promise him?"

"Shh."

"Yes, dear," Severus said, peeking over at the metamorphmagus, "what would you promise me?"

"Yes, Dora dear, what would you promise him?" Ted asked, arms crossed.

"Uhm," Neville said, raising his hand, "now that we've properly insinuated that Professor Snape and Dora do interesting things alone—with or without a dragon onesie, no judging—can we move onto a part of the conversation that doesn't cause me to want to tear out my own eyeballs?"

Draco jumped from the couch, whooping. "Yes! And that's the man who cut off the head of a snake."

"Yeah," Hermione said, eyes wide. "I never thought I'd see Neville speak like that to Professor Snape."

Andy grimaced. "You spend enough time with your professor outside of class to know how a student responds to him in private?"

"With Harry Potter, a lot of things that were impossible become possible."

"You say that like it answers everything."

"It does," Hermione said, shaking her head. "It really, really does."

"Apparently," Dora said under her breath as she took a sip from her flute. "So, what do you suppose we change the subject to, Neville?"

Ted frowned. "You're on a first name basis with your boyfriend's students?"

"Well, I mean, she was invited to the sleep over," Luna said, smiling.

"What sleepover?"

"The sleepover to improve teacher/student relationships," Draco said, crossing his arms.

"You remember, Ted. I invited you to today on the same floo call," Sirius said.

"You said you wanted to borrow Dora for the evening," Andy said, grimacing. "We assumed it was strictly professional."

"Yes, because he would call you if it had anything to do with official Order business," Hermione said.

"I think we should change the subject to Sirius' impending daughter," Neville said, jumping in-between the two glaring women.

"Good idea, Neville," Remus said, grabbing a third flute and chugging. He mumbled under his breath, "Now I remember why I didn't like Christmas dinners with the Blacks. Andy always assumes and Sirius…Sirius is always Sirius." He shrugged. "At least no one's called me a mangy halfbreed yet."

"There's still time," Dora said through clenched teeth. She grabbed another glass of champagne.

"Maybe I shouldn't have included the kids in this," Sirius said, sneaking a peek over at Severus.

The man was ghostly pale. His black eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but gasped instead. His eyes clenched, and he grabbed at his left arm. He jumped up and moved toward the door.

"So sorry to have to go…"

"Oh no you don't, Severus Tobias Snape," Sirius said, pulling him into the kitchen. "I have spent too much time preparing this lovely dinner for you to abandon us. I don't care what that snake wants."

"You want me to defy the dark lord?" Severus asked, mouth agape.

"Yes, now sit down, eat a lovely meal, and propose to your girlfriend."

"But…"

"Sit, down," Sirius grabbed Severus' arm and forced him into the head seat at the table. "Dinner time."

Draco rushed in, snapping his fingers. Dobby appeared with no less than five house elves, all dressed in their best socks. Stacks of food materialized on the table, and the gang gathered around ravenously.

"So, Sirius," Andy said, trying to redirect the conversation, "what's this I hear about a daughter?'

"Her name's Siria," Harry said, shoveling some potatoes into his mouth.

"Excuse me, Harry dear, but I was asking Sirius," Andy smiled as she turned to her cousin.

"Siria?" Ted asked, brow furrowed. "Really, Sirius? Could you be any more egotistical?"

"Probably," Snape muttered under his breath.

"And I get to have a goddaughter," Harry said, smiling.

"Again, Harry…" Andy started.

"It's just as good as a godson, really. I mean, will I miss little Teddy Lupin? Sure, but…"

"Wait," Dora dropped her fork. "Teddy Lupin?" She turned to Remus. "You can't steal my name."

Remus scrunched his nose. "Technically I didn't steal it."

"Dora, Moony, now's not the time," Severus said, his voice low. "I'd rather not talk about past lovers…"

"Wait, what?" Ted asked, his eyes widening.

"What is it with my preference for older men?" Dora asked quietly.

Draco smirked. "I know. Most times, people who like older men have some form of daddy issue." He turned to Ted. "We don't need to have some group therapy session, now do we?"

"This isn't one?" Neville asked, sipping on some soup.

"We're talking about this later," Dora said to Remus.

The wolf's eyes widened. "Can we not?"

Andy and Ted stared at each other.

"Can I be in on that conversation, Moony?" Sirius asked, eyes sparkling. "I'd like to hear how that one goes."

"I don't even know how that one goes," Remus said, sighing. "So Harry'll have to come, too."

"We did not have to have this conversation before," Harry said, eyes popping, "and I am not about to get stuck in the middle of it now."

"Well, I don't know all the details."

"And you think I do?"

Remus scowled. "You know more than me."

Ted and Andy choked. The sputtering caught all attention, and Sirius began whacking Andy on the back.

"Well, then, Siria…" Andy said, hoping to avoid the mess her daughter's cavalier dating life apparently caused. "Is there a middle name to go with that? A last name, perhaps? Or are we going all Madonna on her?"

"Who's Madonna?" Draco asked, brow furrowed.

"A strange muggle pop singer, dear. No need to fret. Eat your potatoes like a good boy or there'll be no dessert for you," Hermione said, patting him on the head.

"Siria Lillian Black. She's due to arrive April 27th, though I don't doubt she'll be early." Sirius smiled. "Can't imagine anyone who could wait to meet me."

"Yes, there's a line," Severus drawled, eyes rolling. "It's two miles long and Madonna's heading up the front."

"Aw, Spots, I didn't know you cared enough to organize a meet-and-greet," Sirius said, smile blinding. "Make sure they RSVP a week before. Can't have any last minutes showing up at the hospital."

Severus turned and glared at Andy. "See what I have to put up with?"

Meanwhile, Remus scowled at his friend. "Sirius, you're planning on having a party at the hospital?"

"Of course. All Blacks should arrive in style," the animagus said.

"Sirius, that's not allowed," Remus said, shaking his head.

"How do you know? How many hospitals have you been to in the past twelve years?"

"Plenty. I'm a werewolf, remember? Comes with the territory."

Sirius crossed his arms. "I meant the baby division."

"It's not called the baby division, Sirius," Severus said, rubbing his eyes. "It's neonatal care."

"Whatever."

"And we are most certainly not having a party in the hospital room."

"Why ever not?"

Severus sighed. "Fine. If you can convince the mother to let nine strangers—and Madonna—into the room while your daughter is crowning, then by all means, go ahead."

Harry sniffed. "Besides, I'm already planning one at home."

Hermione closed her eyes, resting her head in her hands. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. There's going to be Pansy, and Hannah, and Crabbe, and Goyle…."

"Harry," Draco said slowly, "those are mostly Slytherins."

"But those are the ones who care."

"They're also the ones who will probably snatch her and take her to the dark lord. I'm certain he has many lovely spells that include baby girl parts."

"With that," Ted said, wiping his face with a napkin, "I do believe we have reached an end to this lovely dinner conversation."

"You're leaving?" Sirius asked, frowning.

"Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Sirius," Andy said, rising.

"But Professor Snape hasn't asked Tonks to marry him yet," Luna said, eyes sparkling.

Severus sighed, while the three Tonks all gaped.

"Thank you, Miss Lovegood. Remind me to never confide in my godson again."

"Severus?" Dora asked nervously. The potions professor smiled, retrieving the ring and getting down on one knee. Before he could even speak, the metamorphmagus ran into him. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes."

"I haven't even asked yet, Dora," Severus said, eyebrow quirked.

"What else were you going to ask? How I like my pumpkin pie?"

"With a diamond ring in it, I'm assuming?"

Dora smiled. "I love you, Severus Snape." And with that, she kissed him soundly on the lips.

"See," Harry said, a smirk playing on his lips, "isn't this better than my mom?"

Severus growled. "You insolent, little…"

"Spots," Sirius said, "you just got engaged. Try not to kill your godson."

"His what now?" Andy asked, brow furrowed.

Hermione shook her head. "It's a long story."


	72. Valentine's Day

A/N: Okay, everyone. I hate to be the one who says this—as I think constructive criticism is important—but I'm tired of people posting comments about how much they hate how we've written our story. This story was written because my sister and I had found a niche in fanfiction we'd seen lacking: stories of Draco, Harry, and Hermione becoming friends and going back in time. We meant this as something we could do to relax and come closer as siblings. I appreciate those who take this for what it is: us having fun and wanting to share it with you. We are not trying to—nor were we ever planning to—cater to the average time travel fic nor were we hoping to keep it dark and depressing all the time.

I hope those of you who enjoy our story will continue reading. We enjoy hearing from you and if you're inclined to give some constructive criticism, so be it. However, if you're just going to tell us you hate the story and think it's terrible, please save all of us time. Go ahead and write your own time travel story with Draco, Hermione, and Harry. We'd love to read it! Truth be told, part of the reason we put this story out here is so that we could put out the idea and get more people interested in it.

I don't mean to be rude and I hope no one who reads this thinks we are sensitive and easily offended people. However, we hope to receive the same respect we would give any other author on this site. You don't have to read our work, and if at any point you don't like where we headed, feel free to take it on from there. And even share it with me; I'd love to read it! 😊

Now, on with the story. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Harry and Draco sat on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, giggling over the Marauder's map.

"What do you think Sirius is doing in the bedroom with Severus and Dora?" Harry asked, smiling.

"I don't know," Draco said, trembling as he struggled to keep his laughter in. "I really don't want to know what my cousin, my other cousin, and my godfather do in their private times."

"Not like that, Draco," Hermione said, shaking her head. She looked up from her wandless magic text and eyed her boyfriend. "They're probably just going over wedding plans."

"And they need Sirius for that?"

"You expect Severus to come up with a decent color scheme?"

Draco jumped off the couch. "You don't appreciate the different shades of black."

Hermione sighed, returning to her tome.

"He could be doing a lot of things, none of which fall into Draco's nasty mind," Neville said as he looked over Harry's shoulder. "Hey, isn't that Finnegan?"

"Where?" Harry asked, brow furrowing.

The chubby boy pointed to the map. "There, next to the come-and-go room."

Draco fell back into his spot next to Harry. "Yeah, that is Finnegan. What's he doing in the come-and-go room?"

"I don't know, Draco," Harry quirked a brow at the boy, "what did you do in the come-and-go room sixth year?"

"Oh," the blond said, scanning the map for any more interesting names, "that makes sense."

Harry shook his head. "You're just useless."

"I resent that."

The boy-who-lived leapt from the couch, grabbing his cloak. "I'm going to check this out."

"I'll come, too. Two eyes are better than one," Draco said, draping part of the cloak over him.

"Since when are we cyclops?"

"You know what I meant."

Hermione scowled. "Why would he pick a half-blood? Last time, it was Draco. He's a pureblood."

Draco sighed. "It had nothing to do with my blood status. It had everything to do with the fact Lucius screwed up and wasn't immediately available for torture."

Harry shrugged. "Besides, Tom has a soft spot for half-bloods." He turned to Neville. "Wanna come with?"

The boy shook his head. "Nah, I'll hold down the fort. Don't want Ron taking to charming your beds again."

The boy-who-lived grimaced. He'd had a full-on panic attack after that last short-sheeting incident. He couldn't have known Neville would let him out. The time travelers snorted.

With that, Draco and Harry slipped out of the portrait frame and down the hall. They reached the seventh floor to find Seamus Finnegan pacing past the statue of Barnabas the Blarmy.

"Do you think he's done?" Harry asked, whispering as Finnegan walked by them.

"It took me all year to fix that stupid thing," Draco said, his voice hoarse. "If he's done now, I'm suing."

"Who?"

The blond's brow creased. "That's to be decided." He shrugged. "Maybe my father for not breeding well."

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's clear of the room. Let's check it out."

As the boys crept over to the entrance, the door swung open. Both boys watched as it closed. No one entered or exited.

"Did you see someone?" Draco asked, stopping in his tracks.

"So, you saw the door open by itself, too?" Harry's eyes narrowed. "I was hoping my visions returned."

"Let's be glad they haven't."

"Well, it was either that or I was going crazy."

Draco shook his head. "Apparently, there's a third option: it actually happened."

"How much you wanna bet it was Peeves?"

"Wouldn't we see Peeves?"

Harry sighed. "Do you want to check out the room or not?"

"We know what's in there; it's not like it's some big mystery."

"How about seeing how far along he is?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Ooh, can we mess it up?"

The boy-who-lived placed his hands on his hips. "How would you have liked it if I'd done that to you?"

At this point, Harry had stopped and Draco had continued on, causing the invisibility cloak to slide off the brown-haired boy.

"I would be pissed, but it's Finnegan," the blond said, turning around. "Besides, do you want death eaters invading the castle?"

"What's this about death eaters in the castle?" Remus asked, walking down the corridor towards the boys. "Harry, are you talking to thin air?" He grabbed the invisibility cloak and pulled it off, revealing a very red blond.

"Hey," Draco said, arms crossed. "That's not fair."

"What's not fair? That I knew exactly where you were?" Remus shook his head.

"Exactly. There's no point of an invisibility cloak with you."

Remus smiled. "What are you two boys doing out so close to curfew?"

"You're not even a professor. Why do you care?"

"I'm having flashbacks to seventh year." The werewolf rubbed his eyes. "Please just answer my question."

"Finnegan was in the room of requirement," Harry said, bouncing.

"And what did he require?"

"That's what we're going to see," Harry said, grabbing onto his mentor's hand and pulling. "Come with us."

"Harry, stop acting like a five-year-old."

"I never got to be one."

Draco shook his head. "Remus, just let him act like a five-year-old and come with us. We'll need help destroying the horcrux anyway."

"There's a horcrux in there?" Remus asked, eyes widening. His brow furrowed. "How do you expect me to help you destroy it? Swallow it?" He shrugged. "I don't think it would work until the full moon anyway."

Harry smirked. "I really would love to see you swallow a diadem."

"We are getting farther away from our mission," Draco said, whining as he pulled open the door.

All three entered to find the room of lost things. The blond bee-lined for the vanishing cabinet, examining it before groaning.

"I do believe this is Exhibit A of our case against inbreeding."

"What's wrong, ferret?" Harry asked, eyes sparkling. "Does the half-blood have better woodworking skills than you?"

"Shut up, scarhead. I was taught to be proper and prim, not how to sand down a wardrobe."

Remus shook his head. "That's not a wardrobe. It doesn't take you to Narnia."

Draco scowled. "What's Narnia?"

"Ooh, Moony, can we find out?"

"No," Remus said with a sigh. "I think it would be bad if anyone found us in the closet."

"Well, it does take you somewhere," the ex-Slytherin said, grabbing a torn card off the ground and placing it on the floor. He closed it and opened it again. After a few more practice runs, the card returned. "This is not a good sign."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine…just don't completely destroy it."

"Thank you," Draco said, grinning as he threw a couple blasting spells at it, knocking the door off its hinge and wrecking the magical frequency. "That should set him back a month or two."

"We really shouldn't leave Draco and Sirius alone together," Remus said, shaking his head. He turned, surveying the mess of a room, when a flash caught his eye. He blinked. "Boys, you said something about a diadem, right?"

"Yeah," Harry said, facing his mentor. "Do you see it?"

"If that thing on the mannequin's head is it, then yes."

Draco ran over and grabbed the tiara off the wig. He scrunched his nose. "Yep, that's it. Feels gross with all the dark magic." He scowled. "Why would he put it on display?"

Harry shook his head. "He's a drama queen?"

Remus chuckled. "As much as I'd like to see Voldemort in a tutu and a pink boa strutting around stage, I don't think that's why. He probably did it because the best way to hide things is in plain sight."

"Alright, alright. Let's go get a basilisk fang and destroy another priceless Hogwarts heirloom," Harry said, stalking towards the second floor girls' bathroom.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

The boys sloughed up the stairs, more than ready to collapse into bed. Harry yawned as they opened the door, already imagining the warm comforter when a loud giggle caused him to jump.

"What was that?" Harry asked, swiveling on the spot, his wand raised.

"Who's there?" Draco asked, his wand lit. The two stared at each other. "Harry, is it bad that we live in a dorm of boys and someone just giggled?"

"Boys are allowed to giggle, Draco."

"Then why are we so alarmed by it?"

The brunet crossed his arms. "These specific boys don't. Not since…" Green eyes searched the room, landing on a dazed Neville. "Oh no…"

"Oh, no what? Scarhead, you forget I don't know everything."

"I forgot…"

"How can you forget?" Draco asked, throwing his hands in the air. "You've done this all before."

"Which is why I said 'I forgot' instead of 'I don't know'."

"Oi," Dean said, sitting up in bed, eyes glaring, "Neville's been like this for over an hour. Stop arguing over your past life and take him to your bloody potions godfather. Some of us need our beauty sleep." Both boys gaped. "I'm not the idiot of the boy's dorm. That lovely title goes to Weasley. Now, take him and leave."

With that, the time travelers ran over to Neville, one on each side, and maneuvered him down to the dungeons.

"So, Nev, buddy, wanna tell us what's going on?" Harry asked, his smile uneasy.

"Romilda's so pretty, isn't she?" Neville giggled again. "Are we going to see her?"

"Sure, Vane's beautiful." Draco scowled. "Didn't know you were into her. Now, what happened?"

"That is what happened, Ferret," Harry stopped in front of Severus' door. "Romilda's in love with me and tried giving me some potion-laced chocolates. Weasley ate them last time."

"See? This what happens when we have a free-for-all policy in the boys' dorm."

"Oh, would you rather me be in love with Vane?"

"I'd hope you would know what's going on and avoid love chocolates."

Harry huffed and knocked on the door. He tapped his foot, awaiting his godfather's answer.

Neville gazed up at the ceiling. "We're in the dungeons."

"Yes, we are," Draco said, staring straight ahead.

The boy giggled. "Professor Snape lives in the dungeons."

"He does."

"He wears bunny slippers."

"Ugh," Harry grunted. He threw his hands in the air. "Where's Uncle Sev when you need him?"

"Maybe he actually went to a death eater meeting for once," Draco said, eyes narrowing.

"Fat lot of good that does us."

Neville's eyes widened. "Professor Snape's not fat." He smiled. "He's very skinny. I hope he meets a good girl that fattens him up."

"Well, I don't think anything Dora cooks is edible..."

"Draco, that is not the point." Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes. "What're we going to do?"

"You're telling me you went to Professor Snape last time?"

"No," the boy-who-lived shook his head. "I'm pretty sure he was at a death eater meeting at the time."

"Then where the hell did you go?"

"Well, I went to Professor Slughorn…" Green eyes sparkled. "We can go to Professor Slughorn."

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!"

"Draco, when did you learn about muggle carnival games?"

"Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted took me over the summer."

Harry shook his head. "Come on."

The two time travelers dragged Neville down to Professor Slughorn's room. When they arrived, Harry began banging on the door.

"Harry," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "This is very late…Isn't it past curfew?"

"Are you going to write us up?"

Horace quirked a brow. "Are you going to become Minister of Magic?"

"Uhm…"

"Eh," the man shrugged, "I won't take the chance."

"Is that how you determine whether or not you enforce school rules?" Draco asked, mouth dropping.

"Not always. Just for special people."

"I knew I never liked you."

"Draco," Harry snapped. "Professor, I'm really sorry to disturb you, but our friend Neville accidently ingested a love potion."

"A love potion?" Slughorn asked, brow creased. He surveyed the boy. "By Merlin, did he drink a liter of it?"

"Uhm," Harry and Draco glanced at each other. The blond shrugged. "We don't know. We have a pretty open policy concerning food sharing. I don't think Harry kept track of how many chocolate treats were on his bed."

"I've never had so many chocolate cauldrons in my life." Neville cocked his head. "Maybe I should give some to Romilda."

Harry rubbed his eyes. "Exactly what we need, another girl in love with herself." He shook his head. "Professor Slughorn, could you please brew the antidote? I'd take him to Madame Pomphrey, but we were already down here to see Professor Snape…"

"Why were you down to see Severus?" Slughorn asked. "I was under the impression he hated all things Potter."

"Well, he is the potions _master_ ," Draco said, nibbling his lip. "No offense, Professor, but I'd assume he's a bit better than you."

"I'll have you know, I taught that boy everything he knows."

"You mean, he didn't carry on his studies after Hogwarts? I'd assume you have to go on to another school to obtain a mastery…"

"Anyway," the man glared at the blond, "I'd have thought you could have whipped him up a remedy, Harry. I've heard you're an amazing brewer."

"You have?" Draco asked, brow quirked.

"Why, yes. I do have to say, Severus might hate everything Potter, but he does still brag about you. He must have overlooked the Potter and seen only the Lily."

"I am more than my parents, you know," Harry said. He pushed Neville toward the potions professor. "Can you fix him or not?"

"Is Romilda here?" Neville asked, glancing around the room.

Horace sighed. He shook his head and ran over to his supplies. He came back with a clear liquid, handing it to the boy.

"Here, it's a tonic for nerves. Calms you down a bit before she arrives." Neville gulped it down. He beamed, before his grin slowly sagged. "Back to normal then?"

"Thanks, professor," Harry said, smiling as Neville sighed.

"Don't mention it, m'boy. Don't mention it," Slughorn said. He bustled over to his alcohol cabinet. "A strong pick-me-up, that's what he needs."

"Uhm," Draco said, brow furrowing. "Isn't that the brew I…I mean, Finnegan…got you to give to Professor Dumbledore?"

"What are you talking about, lad? I picked this mead out myself."

"You did?"

Horace handed Neville a glass on the rocks, and the boy downed it without a second thought.

"No!" Harry and Draco screamed at the same time. Horace scowled.

"Uhm," Harry said, chewing his lip, "we're too young for alcohol." He turned to Draco, lowering his voice. "Quick, find a bezoar."

The blond nodded, eyes widening in horror. Harry lowered Neville to the ground.

"What? Harry?" Neville asked, brow furrowing. "What's going on?"

"Sh. Draco and I are saving your life."

"Huh?" The boy's hands flew to his throat. He gagged, scratching and trying to open his airway.

"What in the world?" Slughorn asked. He moved closer to get a better look, but Draco threw him out of the way.

"Get out of here, you useless muggle," Draco said, stuffing the bezoar down the boy's gullet.

"Well, I never. That is no way to treat your professor."

"Well you should have included me in the slug club."

"Draco, is this really time to air out grievances?" Harry asked, finishing his chest compressions.

"I just saved Neville's life. I get to do whatever the heck I want."

"What the hell is going on in here?" a baritone voice asked, resounding through Slughorn's room.

The two boys turned. "Uncle Sev!" They both ran to hug the man. "What are you doing here?"

"No, the better question is what the hell is going on in here?"

"You first," Harry said, hiding his face in the man's robes.

"We just saved Slughorn from becoming a murderer," Draco said.

"No," Severus said, glaring at his old potions professor. "Start from the beginning."

"This would be a better conversation to have in your rooms."

Horace gasped. "You allow them in your rooms?"

"You're one to talk," Severus said, glaring.

"This was an emergency."

Severus walked over and picked up a still dazed Neville. "Is that mead I smell on his breath?"

"That's what almost killed him."

"I'm going to need more information than that."

"Uncle Sev," Draco said, pulling on his sleeve. "I promise to explain everything once we're safe and sound in your rooms."

"And you make me some hot chocolate," Neville said, gasping. "I need hot chocolate."

"Neville," Harry said, opening the door. "Be quiet. He doesn't give sweets on command."

"I don't think he gives sweets at all," Draco said, scowling. "In all my years as godson, it's been books, toys, the occasional sweater…"

"Alright," Severus said, closing the door to his rooms. "Explain." All at once, three Gryffindor boys began giving their account of the night's events. "Silence." He glared. "Quite obviously, I meant one at a time."

"Yes," Luna said, popping in a scone. The four men turned to find her and Dora sitting on the couch, drinking tea. "It's hardly possible for him to hear all of you at once. He might have sonar bat hearing, but that doesn't help him differentiate." She tilted her head. "There may be a spell for that, though."

Severus stared at the scene before him. After a few minutes, he walked over to his wine cabinet, grabbed a large bottle, uncorked it, and began chugging.

"That's hardly polite, dear," Dora said, shaking her head. "Put the wine bottle down."

The man gasped, holding up a finger. "Only if you'll explain what a student is doing in my quarters when I'm not here."

"Well, I'd hope she's only here when I'm here…"

"I'd still prefer if I were here as well."

"Do you still want to know what happened tonight, or are we ignoring it completely?" Harry asked, hands on hips.

"Just give the cliffnotes."

"Well, Neville ate chocolates that made him fall in love with Romilda Vane. We came down here to get you. You weren't here. We went to Slughorn. He fixed Neville, and then almost poisoned him with Draco's mead."

Dora's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "Draco, why would you try to poison someone?"

Draco turned to his friend. "I don't know how to talk us out of that one, Harry."

"To be fair," Harry said, "it's not Draco's this time."

"That just brings up more questions," Dora said, setting down her tea. She patted the spot next to her.

"Oh, that's from back when I was trying to kill Dumbledore," Draco said, sitting in his godfather's new loveseat.

"Oh, right," Dora shook her head, "I forgot. You've already done this before."

"Oh," Harry turned to his godfather. "I almost forgot. We destroyed a horcrux."

"Wait, there's one in Neville?"

"No," Draco said, shaking his head. "He'd have to have died for that to be true. We learned that the hard way."

"Yeah, it was really hard for you," Harry said, crossing his arms. "Cause, you know, you only had to sit in the Gryffindor common room and wait."

"Where is Sirius when you need him?" Severus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I could shunt these imbeciles off on him."

"Come on, Uncle Sev, you know you love us," Harry said, going over and snuggling up to his godfather.

"Yes, but I only invited one of you." The potions master glared at his fiancée. "And I didn't expect her to invite anyone else."

"So, what was I supposed to do? Wait here alone while you go get Crucio'd?" Dora huffed.

"Wait," Draco turned to his cousin, "are you saying you've been here the whole time?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then, why didn't you answer the door?"

Luna shrugged. "We talked about it, but we didn't want you ruining girls' night."

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked, brow furrowed.

"She left early. Didn't want to miss out on too much sleep."

"So," Severus glared, "you're telling me there were two female students in my rooms without my supervision?"

"Well, if you count ex-students…"

"Dora, you promised we wouldn't talk about that."

The metamorphmagus shook her head. "Does it really bother you that much?"

The man sighed. He looked back at his godsons. "Anyhow, who do I need to give detention?"

"Romilda Vane," Harry said. "She's the one who dosed Neville with love potion."

"Did it work?"

"Overly well."

"Well," Severus said, "you have to admire her potions skills. She's only a fifth year, isn't she?"

"Neville almost died!"

"Yes, but it had nothing to do with the potion."


	73. Geminio and Siria

A/N: Hello everyone! While we are sure most of you on this site are perfectly fine with the use of alcohol, we decided to warn you just in case. Characters in this chapter may get a little tipsy...or completely smashed. Enjoy!

"So," Sirius said, leaning against his desk. "Geminio played a drastic role in seventh year. I figured it would help you all—the starving students you are—to gather enough alcohol for your final year."

"Sirius," Severus growled, standing up. "No, they are sixth years. This means they are sixteen."

Hermione jumped from her seat. "I'm seventeen."

"Do you plan on buying everyone copious amounts of alcohol?"

"No, that's a stupid idea."

"Especially when Geminio will double your supply," Sirius said, rising. "Besides, everyone will be seventeen next year and needing the alcohol."

"Is your plan to cause the entire school to become alcoholics by the time their seventeen?" Severus asked, brow furrowed.

"Half of them won't last through the war. They deserve this."

"Sirius!" Hermione yelled.

"Well, they might as well learn that now."

A cellphone chimed. The class gasped.

"Seriously? You haven't learned what a cellphone is yet? I thought after my first couple classes you'd be excited to learn what's going on." Sirius flipped the phone open. "Hello? Yes, and what are you wearing?"

"Sirius," Hermione hissed, her head in her hands.

"It's a valid question, Mione."

"In what universe?"

Her professor ignored her. "Really? Now? That can happen? She's early. Well, I guess she doesn't have to be on schedule." His eyes widened. "Don't shout! Fine, I'm on my way."

"Uhm, Sirius?" Harry asked, brow quirked.

"Whelp, everyone, I'm off to have a baby." He turned and ran upstairs, leaving the class speechless.

Remus descended moments later, eyeing the shocked crowd. "Why did Sirius just floo out of here? What did you lot do now?"

"I don't think we're the ones who made him pregnant," Draco said.

"Since when is Sirius pregnant?"

"You know what I meant."

"Class dismissed," Severus yelled out. He turned to the wolf. "Come on, Lupin, let's go save the muggles from Black."

"Huh?"

They flooed over St. Mungo's to apparate to the Royal London Hospital, finding Sirius in the waiting room with an open bottle of firewhisky.

"Black," Severus said, yanking the bottle out of his hand, "you can't have alcohol in a hospital." He examined the contents. "Besides, when did you have the time to grab this?"

"I always have it on me." Sirius shrugged. "You never know when you're going to get to a party and there's no alcohol available." He smiled. "Besides, you said Madonna would be here."

"She was otherwise engaged," Remus said, rubbing his eyes. "Besides, your daughter is a wee early."

"I love the fact you actually know she's busy," Severus said, eyes narrowing.

"I was thinking about taking Annie to one of the concerts soon. The performer is in the colonies currently."

"Can I have some of that?" Harry asked, snatching the bottle and taking a swig.

Sirius's mouth dropped. "Hey! Why can he drink and I can't?"

Severus sighed. "He's not the one having a baby, Black."

"Is she here?" Pansy asked, running up to the group.

"Parkinson?" The dark potions master grimaced. "Crabbe? Goyle?"

"Present," the two boys said.

"If you don't return to Hogwarts this instant…"

"But…but we want to see the baby." Pansy held up a onesie. "I spent all last month magically knitting this." She scowled. "Besides, why do they get to be here if I don't?"

"Because they're not Slytherins. I have no control over them." Severus glared at the four currently taking shots from the second bottle of firewhisky. "Black! Two?"

"Actually," Remus held up two more bottles, "we have a bigger problem here."

"Perhaps we shouldn't have taught them that spell so soon," Sirius said, brow furrowed.

"You think?" Severus sighed, snatching one of the unopened bottles from Remus. "Give me that."

"Wait," Hermione called out, pointing her wand. "Geminio."

"Miss Granger, really?"

"We're celebrating, aren't we?" She pointed her wand at the one Remus held. "Geminio." She smirked. "Besides, we have three people we didn't originally account for."

"We didn't account for the alcohol any way."

"Yes, that was a happy surprise." She took another swig. "I also brought some champagne." She pulled out a bottle out of her purse.

"You've been carrying that around Hogwarts?" Remus asked, scowling.

"Well, I knew Sirius was due for some time now." She pointed to the champagne. "Geminio."

"You do realize I'm not the one pregnant, right?" Sirius said, grimacing.

"Well," Draco shrugged, grabbing one of the copious bottles of champagne and popping it open, "you did say you were off to have baby."

Luna stared at the bottle and then scanned the room. "How is it that no one has notice the ever-multiplying supply of alcohol?"

Severus's eyes widened. "By Merlin, I didn't even think about that."

"Don't worry, Spots," Sirius smiled, "I cast a muggle disillusionment spell on the area before you all got here."

"Whoops," Goyle said, knocking over a bottle. "Sorry." He took another long swig.

"It's not your fault, Snake," Draco said, his eyes roving over the floor. "You can't move at this point without hitting either firewhisky or champagne."

"And I brought the vodka," Dora said, popping in.

"Ooh, gimmee!" Harry said. "Geminio."

Dora's eyes widened. "Okay then," she said, taking in the floor of alcohol. "Oh, there's my husband-to-be."

"Nymph…nymphy…Dora?" the man slurred. He sat slumped in a chair, an empty bottle of firewhisky in one hand and a new bottle of vodka in the other. "What are you doing here?" He whispered over to Remus. "How'd she know to come?"

"I called her on Sirius's cellular phone." Remus crossed his arms. "Don't worry, Severus. She's not all-knowing."

"Phew, I was right about that," the potions professor said, wiping his brow dramatically.

"Alright, who got my fiancé drunk?" Dora asked, hands on hips.

"I got myself drunk, thank you very much," Severus answered, trying to stand. He grabbed onto the armrest and dropped back down. "Whoa, standing is hard."

"Eep!" Dora squealed as he pulled her onto his lap, cuddling into her.

"Is a head of house allowed to be inebriated in his students' presence?" Pansy asked.

"If so, he's broken that rule several times," Draco said.

"No," Remus shook his head, "I checked after that episode with the polyjuiced death eaters."

"What polyjuiced death eaters?" Goyle asked.

"I play a mean Goyle," Luna said, smiling dreamily.

"That doesn't answer my question." Goyle scowled. "In fact, it gives me a few more."

"Oh," Hermione said, taking another sip of champagne. "You see, we had a slumber party to raise student-teacher relations, and Luna had some hairs from when we went to the department of mysteries." Her eyes sparkled. "I make Polyjuice for fun."

"Hermione," Dora said, reaching for the bottle. "Maybe we should take this away."

"And save it for me," Severus whispered into her ear.

"No!" Hermione yelled, hugging her bottle of champagne. "Mine."

A woman in a white nurse's outfit walked into the waiting room. "Mr. Black?" she called, looking up from a clipboard. "Mr. Black?"

"Oh!" Sirius jumped from his seat and walked out of the disillusionment charm. "Present."

"Your wife is starting to push."

"She's not my wife."

"You're girlfriend, then…"

"Nope."

The woman scowled. "Sister?"

"Random woman I met once."

"And I should probably be more surprised." She shook her head. "Either way, your daughter is crowning and if you want to catch her, you should follow me."

He glanced back at the large crew of witches and wizards, unsure if he should actually follow the woman and watch the young babe spring into life. It didn't sound as miraculous as he'd imagined. Remus waved him on. The animagus sighed, biting his lip and walking out of the room.

"What do you think she'll be like?" Pansy asked, grabbing a champagne bottle and popping the cork.

"Well, for the first couple of months, very annoying," Draco said, picking up a bag of crisps and opening it. He scowled. "When did we get food?"

Crabbe raised his hand. "Goyle and I were hungry."

"You know Crabbe and Goyle can't go five minutes without eating something," Pansy said, grabbing a piece of cake and a plastic fork.

"Yeah," Draco nodded his head and shrugged, "that caused a lot of problems last time around."

Hermione put a finger to her lips, squishing them. "Sh! Draco, don't tell our secrets."

Dora rubbed her eyes. "How much longer is this going to take?" She looked to Severus, who was currently snuggling into her. "Not that I don't love a good cuddle, but normally I prefer it to be in private and not when Sevvie's completely smashed."

"Uncle Sev cuddles with you?" Harry said, brow furrowed.

"Since she's crowning," Remus said, completely ignoring the green-eyed boy, "it shouldn't be too much longer." He grabbed a danish. "Pastry?"

Half an hour later, Sirius reappeared with a pink bundle held closely to his chest. The girls jumped up first, oohing and ahhing, all the while trying to touch the tuft of soft black hair. The boys followed, a bit slower, eyes scrunching to get a better look.

"Uhm, no offense Sirius," Harry said, staring down at the red face and chubby cheeks, "but she's not exactly what I pictured."

"She's ugly," Crabbe said, nose scrunched.

Goyle nodded. "She's all smooshed."

"She just spent several hours being pushed," Sirius said, glaring. "I'd like to see you when you were first born."

"Sevvie," Dora called softly, shaking her fiancé. "I think you should wake up before Sirius kills your students."

"Huh?" Severus blinked. "Is Harry in danger of another DADA teacher?"

"No dear, your Slytherins are."

"Oh," Severus scooted into a sitting position, causing Dora to fall off his lap. She glared. "Oops."

"Spots! Come meet your niece."

"His what?" Pansy asked, brow furrowed.

"Yeah," Goyle turned to his professor, "what are you doing here?"

"If you mention a word of this to anyone, I'll expel you," Severus said, rubbing his head.

Dora held up a headache potion. "You're going to need it."

"What are you doing with potions in your pockets?"

"Don't ask; just take."

"Anyway," Harry said, shaking his head, "as Professor Snape was saying, you can't tell anyone…especially Finnegan."

"Why Finnegan?" Pansy asked, eyes narrowing. "Why not You-Know-Who?"

"Well, he's a death eater."

All three Slytherins stared at each other. They burst into laughter.

"Finnegan?" Crabbe asked. "You think Finnegan's a death eater?"

"Well, yeah," Draco said, brows knitting together. "He has the mark."

"That's news to us."

"Yeah," Goyle said, nodding. "We've all been talking about whether or not to join, and he's one of the ones saying it's stupid to make ourselves slaves when we talk about how we're better than everyone else."

"Seriously?" Hermione scrunched her nose. "Finnegan's not a follower of Voldemort?"

"No," Pansy said, shaking her head. "He's not."

"Blaise—on the other hand—has spent most of this past year talking about how great the man is…" Crabbe said as he turned and grabbed a bag of crisps. He handed one to Sirius. "You think she wants one?"

Sirius quirked a brow. "You've never been around a baby, have you, kid?"

After Severus's raging headache ended, he took the group back to Hogwarts via floo. Remus stayed with Sirius until the hospital gave them the okay to leave. They walked into their chambers and sat down, both exhausted from the long day.

"Well," Sirius said, staring at his new little bundle of joy, "at least she came right before Easter break." He smiled. "Won't have to have a sub as long."

"Sirius," Remus said, brow furrowed, "I'm your sub."

"Yes, so you'll get to be Uncle Moony much sooner."

"Sirius, no."

"Oh, come on, Moons," Sirius said, smirking. "Look how sweet she is."

"When did I become your babysitter?"

"More like nanny…" He readjusted his daughter so that he now held her in one arm. "Besides, how hard can she be to take care of?"

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"MOONY!" Sirius yelled.

The werewolf sighed. He'd just gotten to sleep, and he was expected to teach in two hours.

It had been nine days since Siria was born, and the two bachelors quickly realized the little angel was actually a little terror. She wailed constantly. No one—and he meant no one—could get her to calm down.

"And bloody Severus Snape had to go to his fiancee's family Easter holiday," Remus mumbled to himself, throwing a pillow over his head.

"Moony, please," Sirius whined, now walking into his room. "I've fed her. I've changed her. I've rocked her. I've fed her again. I've changed her again. I sang 'Stairway to Heaven' to her."

"What do you want me to do, Padfoot?"

"Silence her!"

"You can't just silence a baby."

Sirius threw one hand in the air, holding the screaming demon in the other. "That's what silencing charms are for." He placed his hand on his hip. "I'm sure I was silenced loads as a baby."

"I remember silencing you a few times as an adult," Remus murmured into his pillow.

Sirius threw himself on his friend's bed. "What am I going to do, Moons?" He glared at the little one in his arms. "Why does she hate me?"

"She's a baby," Remus said, finally sitting up. "She doesn't hate anyone. She doesn't love anyone." He rubbed his eyes. "Currently, she is only capable of eating, sleeping, pooping, and burping."

"And crying." Sirius glared. "And screaming."

"Exactly."

"Harry liked me."

"He threw up on you the first time you held him."

"And that's when I knew he'd make a wonderful marauder."

The wolf through a pillow at his friend's back as the man walked away. He closed his door and got dressed, walking into the kitchen moments later. He found Sirius trying to change the young girl on the kitchen table.

"Sirius, we have a changing table for a reason."

"It's covered in spit up," Sirius said, eyes narrowed in concentration. He was finally going to get this down without being peed on.

"And why haven't you cleaned it up?"

"I've been writing a symphony." He glared back at his lycanthrope friend. "What do you think I've been doing?"

"You need to clean it up. You can let her sit and scream for a while in her crib."

"Blast it all," Sirius said, walking over and placing Siria in Remus's arms. "I'm going to clean up the changing table and take a shower. You take care of her."

"But…but…" Remus said, watching his friend head toward his room. "But I have a class to teach."

The portrait door opened and Severus Snape stalked in, sighing. For once, his skin wasn't sallow, but nicely tanned. It was nice that his in-laws-to-be had a holiday house near the ocean.

"What is that insufferable screeching?" The man asked, holding his hands on his ears.

"Oh, Severus, thank Merlin!" the werewolf said, rushing over to the man. "We've missed you for days."

"Yes, well, not much I could do," Severus said, smirking. "Ted's family is quite serious about the Easter hols, as you can imagine. Did you know his father is an Anglican minister?"

"That's great, Sev," Remus said, rubbing his eyes with a free hand. "But don't you feel like you've missed out on getting to know your niece?"

Severus quirked a brow. "Uhm, I suppose…"

"Would you like to hold her? You haven't yet."

"I guess."

"Great," Remus said, placing the baby in the man's arms. "Here you go! Sirius is cleaning the changing table and taking a shower and I need to take a nap in the staff room before I teach. Have fun!"

The werewolf dashed out of the room, leaving scorch marks behind. Severus stood there, stunned, awkwardly holding Siria as far away from him as possible. She screamed louder.

"Hush now," the man said, glaring at the girl. "You stop that." She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Enough!"

The girl's eyes widened and she stopped, stunned and scared.

"Now, Miss Black," Severus began, staring at her sternly, "I will let you in on a little secret. You are behaving about as well as your father did when he was at school." He smirked. "While that may be better than the average ape, that is not what I expect from you."

He sat down, pulling her closer and rocking her gently. "You are the last in the Black line. As such, you must be the one to carry on the illustrious name. You will spend most of your time in the public eye, and therefore you must learn to act less like a spoiled brat and more like a civilized individual."

The baby cooed, grabbing onto his nose. He rolled his eyes.

"Now, as your father has decided to take what I'm assuming is a well-deserved break, I find it is necessary that I take over your care for this time." He smiled. "And I refuse to let any time with a child be unproductive. Therefore," he pulled out a tiny cardboard book on potions, "we will read this book 'A is for Asphodel'."

Twenty minutes later, Sirius walked towards his living room feeling slightly refreshed. Sure, he hadn't slept in forty-eight hours, but at least he was clean and there was no formula splattered against his bedroom wall. He stopped in the doorway, brow furrowed. There was no screaming. His eyes widened.

"Is she dead?" he asked, running into the room and looking wildly about. "Moony? Moony!" He held his face in his hands. "Oh no! They've been kidnapped!"

"Black!" Severus whispered. Sirius spun around, eyes wide. "Be quiet! You'll wake her."

The animagus tiptoed toward the other man, who currently held a sleeping Siria.

"She's asleep?"

"What an astute observation," the dark man said, smiling.

"You got her to sleep?"

"Obviously."

Sirius whooped. "Severus Snape, you are never leaving this room again."

"What?"

"You have become the official Black babysitter."

"No, Sirius, wait…"

"I'm going to take a nap," Sirius said, waltzing back to his room.

"Sirius, I have classes to teach…"

"I don't care."

Severus glanced back down at the sleeping angel. "Well, I guess you're going to your first potions class."

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"Wands away," Severus said, stalking into his first class of the day: sixth year potions. "I don't know how many times I must tell you this, but it is getting tiresome. There is no foolish wand waving in this classroom."

"Uhm, Professor Snape?" Neville raised his hand.

"Yes, Longbottom?"

"Why are you carrying a baby?"

Severus stared down at the bundle in his hands for a moment. "Well, isn't it obvious? We're doing a lesson on the different uses of newborn baby ingredients."

"Hey!" Harry said, jumping out of his seat. "That's my goddaughter."

"Mr. Potter," Severus sighed, "don't have a heart attack. I was just joking."

"Then, sir," Hermione said, raising her hand, "why are you carrying Siria around? I doubt a potions classroom is the safest place for a baby…"

"Apparently, her father needed a break."

"And what about Remus?"

"He's currently teaching class."

"And you're not?"

"Yes, well, he got first dibs on doing it baby-free…"


	74. The Cave

"Baby bottle pop," Harry said to the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office. It opened, allowing the boy to enter the headmaster's chambers. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Harry," the man said, patting a spot on the couch next to him. "I wanted to thank you again for retrieving that memory for me."

Harry rolled his eyes. It had been much easier this time to get the stupid horcrux memory from Slughorn. It wasn't like he had to talk to the man again, he just had to edit out the parts immediately before or after. How awkward would it have been for Dumbledore to watch himself ordering Harry into the pensieve when he was already in a pensieve?

"It was nothing, Professor."

"It has taken me years to get Horace to admit to telling Tom about horcruxes."

The boy shrugged. "I just bribed him with crystalized pineapple."

"Ah, well," Dumbledore sighed, stirring some sugar into his tea. "I wanted to invite you on a little adventure."

"Really?" Harry asked, deadpanned. Who all thought he liked sticking his neck out to catch dangerous people?

"I think I've found a place Tom might have hidden a horcrux."

"Think…might have…that's a lot of 'ifs', Headmaster."

"I know, Harry, but it's worth a shot." The man smiled. "And if it's not there, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Would you like that list alphabetically or by likelihood?" Harry mumbled to himself. He shook his head. "I'll think about it, sir."

"Alright, m'boy. I plan to go Saturday. Let me know by then."

"Alright, sir." Harry jumped from the couch and ran down the stairs. He checked his watch. Oops! He was going to be late! He dashed down the halls, nearly running into several students and teachers before finally bursting through the portrait door and into…

"Harry James Potter!" Draco yelled, picking himself up from the floor. "I understand other people running into me—sort of—but why did you feel the need to not watch where you were going?"

"Sorry, ferret," Harry said, dusting his god-brother off. "I had a meeting with Dumbledore and I didn't want to be late."

"Stop," Draco said, grabbing Harry's hands and placing them at the boy's side. "You are forgiven."

"Good," Severus said, placing a tray of tea on the coffee table, "because I'd hate to hear of my godsons having a wand fight in the second floor girls' bathroom."

"Spots," Sirius whined, holding Siria close. "Don't say that in front of my impressionable daughter!"

"Not that kind of wand fight," Draco moaned, rubbing his face.

"And Black, if she remembers this conversation at all, I am placing your daughter in a school for the gifted," Severus said, handing the animagus some tea.

"Alright, alright," Sirius said. "I understand. Just…be careful what you say…"

A gavel banged against the wood of the table. "That's enough," Draco said. "The twenty-fourth weekly meeting of the godfather-godson alliance is now in order."

"Draco, we've talked about this…" Severus said, rubbing his eyes.

"What part, Uncle Sev?"

"Everything."

"This is supposed to be a time for us to catch up and relax," Sirius said, shaking his head, "not for any organized club affiliation."

"Then why did we vote me secretary and in charge of minutes?" Harry asked, holding up a quill.

"What you, Draco, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, and Mr. Longbottom do in your own time has no bearing in this meeting," Severus said, buttering a scone.

"Are you done?" Harry looked up, his quill poised over top of the parchment.

"Did you write that down?"

"I'm the scribe, too."

"Did you write that down, too?" Sirius asked, watching his godson scribble furiously.

"And why would you be the scribe?" Severus glared. "Your handwriting is worse than your father's."

"How did you know what my father's handwriting looks like?"

"I have a collection of death threats that I can show you some time, if you are so inclined to learn."

Sirius patted Severus's arm. "Those were meant as a joke, Spots."

"Anyway," Draco said, grabbing a parchment from his bag. "On to alliance business. First of all, is there any new news?"

"In other words…" Severus said, glaring. "How was your week?"

"Siria can hold her head up," Sirius said, smiling proudly.

"She also drooled on her dress," the dark man said, grabbing a napkin and wiping it off.

"Chaser drills are coming along decently," Draco said, holding up his most recent Christmas present: _Chasing Drills and How to Do Them._

"Do you carry that with you everywhere?" Sirius asked, brow quirked.

"I get bored easily."

"He's a week away from finishing his potions and healing course. He says he's already finished all the work and just waiting for the practical exam," Harry said, sipping his tea.

"Was that a not-so-subtle hint to me to get that written up?" Severus asked, smirking.

"Yes, he's being insufferable."

Sirius's brow furrowed. "What are we talking about again?"

Draco sighed long-sufferingly. "Sirius, how long have you known that I'm in the middle of my potion's mastery?"

"I didn't?"

"You slept in the same dorm as me for two years while I worked toward it."

"I did?"

"Yes!" The blond threw his hands in the air. "I can't believe it! Does no one care about my life?"

"Padfoot, why'd you have to go and do that?" Harry asked, rubbing his forehead. "Couldn't you have just pretended to know and then asked us later?"

"He's finishing his potions mastery?"

"In third year," Severus said, putting down his cup, "I recognized Draco was bored and well informed on the curriculum I was teaching. I pulled him aside and started training him for his potions mastery." He smirked. "We called it godfather/godson bonding time."

"Now, I remember that!" Sirius said, smiling.

"As long as I pass this final, I'll only have practicals before I obtain it," Draco said, eyes sparkling.

"Will there be a graduation ceremony?" Severus teased.

Harry pulled out a calendar. "Are you hoping for an RSVP? I can fit you in, but only if you respond in the next month or so…"

"I'm his teacher and godfather. I wasn't invited originally?"

"It's a small venue."

"Was Sirius invited?"

"Of course," Harry said, smiling. "He's family."

"Wait a minute," Sirius said, readjusting Siria in his arms. "I thought you planned on going to school after you graduate Hogwarts."

"I am," Draco said, nodding.

"But, you'll already have your potions mastery."

"Yes, but I'm going to a muggle university after Hogwarts."

Sirius grimaced. "What for?"

"I'm getting a degree in muggle chemistry."

"Seriously?"

The blond shrugged. "Mione is going to be working on duel degrees in muggle and magical history. She hopes to replace Binns and create a more cohesive curriculum." He stirred his tea. "It's not like we'll be able to start a family right away—her doing that and all—and I thought it was a good idea, combining the muggle and magical school curriculums."

"I talked him into it," Harry said. "I mean, think about it: if only the magical people understood the scientific advances made by muggles, like vaccines or cellular waves. And just imagine what the muggle world could do if they had any understanding of the basic magical properties of mixtures…"

"So, Draco going to university to learn all this will help with that?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded. "Exactly."

"Alright, then. I'll buy it." Sirius turned to Harry. "So, what's new with you, pup?"

"I'm going to destroy a fake horcrux on Saturday."

"Alone?"

"With Dumbledore."

"I repeat," Sirius said, eyes darkening, "alone?"

"Come on, Sirius." Harry crossed his arms. "You don't think a one-hundred plus year old man will be able to fight his way out of an inferi-infested cave?"

"He almost died. You almost died."

"Actually," Severus said, staring at his tea as it spun in his cup, "he did die."

"Not because of the cave," Harry whined.

"Harry, you hate the man…"

"Yes, and I want to watch him go out of his little-lemon drop addled mind."

Sirius sighed. "I don't want you to go alone."

"Again, I'm going with Dumbledore."

"Let me rephrase. I'm going with you."

"Black," Severus said, brow furrowed. "I think you're forgetting something."

"What could I possibly be forgetting, Spots?"

"What are you holding?"

"A cup of tea," Sirius said, holding up the dainty china. Severus growled. "Oh, you meant the other hand."

"Sirius, you have a daughter now. Explain to me where she'll be while you go off and fight dead people."

Grey eyes sparkled. "With her favorite Uncle Spots."

"You say that as if she has more than one." Severus shook his head. "Besides, I have a death eater meeting that night."

"And you plan on going?"

"This one's important. It's the year-end meeting. We have a lot to go over."

"Like what? The upcoming budget? Different conferences on torture to attend?"

Severus crossed his arms. "How to kill Harry Potter."

"Yes, that's very important." Harry nodded. "We could've used that earlier this year."

"Might I give a few suggestions?" Draco asked, nibbling on a scone. "I mean, it appears that a strong petrificus totalus does the trick."

"Well, I need a babysitter," Sirius said, scowling.

"Get Moony to do it."

"He's on a date that night."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "He's going on a date when he knows death eaters will be attacking the castle?"

"Oh, he'll be back in plenty of time."

Severus smirked. "That's almost a burn."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Look, Spots, it might be best for you to take Siria and hide anyway."

"How do you figure?"

"Well," Sirius held the young girl up, her head lolling to the side sleepily, "the way I see it, you can't fight on either side of the battle without completely destroying your cover for the other side, right?" The dark man nodded. "Then, you shouldn't be seen fighting at all."

"But don't I need to kill the headmaster?" Severus asked, frowning.

"Let Zabini do it." Sirius sighed. "Spots, I'd really appreciate it if Siria weren't anywhere near the castle while death eaters are present. Too many of them are family and would love to take out the next heir. Someone also needs to go with Harry to make sure Dumbledore doesn't have some scheme we didn't foresee. Since you need to be neutral, I'd prefer if you took Siria and I went with the horcrux hunters."

"What am I supposed to tell the dark lord the next time I see him?" the death eater asked.

"That you were looking for her and couldn't find her?"

"And my first guess wouldn't have been your room?"

Sirius shrugged. "You're creative. You'll figure something out."

"What if it ends up she was in your room?" Harry asked, turning to Severus.

"And why would she be in _my_ room?" the potions master asked.

"I mean," Draco shrugged, "it's the last place you'd think of to look."

Severus glared at Sirius. "Stop corrupting my godson, Black."

"Huh?" Sirius's brow furrowed.

The dark man folded his hands together, placing them near his chin.

"Oh, Peter Pettigrew is the last person they'd ever think of as secret keeper."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Knock it off."

"So, it's handled?" Harry said, scanning the room. The three men nodded.

"Welp," Draco said, rising, "off to bed the…"

A cat patronus galloped into the room, panting.

"Severus, come quickly. It's an emergency!" the voice blurted out. The wisp dispersed, thickening the weighty air.

Sirius and Severus stared at one another.

"Uhm, does that include me, or…?" Sirius asked, his brow quirked.

"Hm, I don't know, Black," Severus crossed his arms, "is your name Severus?"

"Well, no." He paused. "Should I come along? I am her head of house-in-training…"

"Black, if she called me, it's probably highly confidential…"

"Hey, come on guys," Harry called, running out the door.

Draco popped his head back in. "What are you waiting for? McGonagall did say emergency."

Sirius rose, following the Gryffindors. Severus glanced around the room.

"But she didn't say where…" He shook his head. Surely, in a castle this size, they would come across some emergency or other. They could count the first one they found.

"Oh, Severus," Minerva cried as the four descended the steps. "You must hurry. It's Mr. Finnegan."

"Finnegan? What about him?" Sirius asked, rocking Siria in her sling.

"Sirius, what are you doing here?"

"I was in the area."

"And the two boys?" She glared at Harry and Draco.

"Godfather/godson alliance meeting," Draco stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I don't have time to worry about that." Minerva shook her head, pulling Severus toward the girls' bathroom. "A most horrific thing just occurred."

"I assumed," Severus said, wrenching his arm out of her grasp. "Otherwise, I think we need to have a discussion on the definition of 'emergency'."

"Oh, shut it, Sev," Sirius said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "It's not Minnie's fault she struggles with adrenaline."

"What happened?" Draco asked, glancing behind his professor.

"Finnegan was attacked," Minerva said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Minnie, breathe," Sirius said, running over and rubbing her back. "Everything's going to be alright."

"But it's not! He's still bleeding out!"

Both Sirius and Severus glared at the two boys. Both boys threw up their hands, shaking their heads.

"Wasn't us, Uncle Sev," Draco said.

"Scouts' honor," Harry added, eyes wide.

"No," McGonagall said, "while I don't doubt you would if you had the opportunity, we already know the culprit."

She moved out of the way to reveal the guilty party.

"'Mione?" Both boys gasped.

She waved pathetically. "Hi guys."

Severus rolled his eyes. "So, if you know who committed the crime, why do you need me?"

"I need you to close the wounds," Minerva said, motioning towards the boy currently being seen by Poppy.

"Poppy's present. Do you truthfully believe I am better equipped to handle a medical emergency than the mediwitch?"

"She used _sectumsempra_."

Severus sighed, gliding over to the boy and waving his wand. "There. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Minerva said, turning to Hermione. "What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"

"I demand a lawyer," Hermione said, chin jutting out.

Severus rolled his eyes, quirking a brow. "Well, Black, you want to put your head-of-house training to good use?"

"Sure," Sirius glanced down, cooing at little Siria. He looked back up to find the entire group staring at him. "Oh, you mean right now?" He shrugged. "Okay, 'Mione. Shoot."

"Uhm, shouldn't we go strategize?" Hermione asked, pointing behind her.

"Miss Granger," Severus said, rubbing his eyes. "Strategize what?"

"My defense."

"This is in no way a legal proceeding."

"Besides," Sirius says, walking over to stand next to his charge, "our defense is that you're innocent until proven guilty."

Hermione stared at the man for a moment before turning to Severus. "I demand a real lawyer."

"Miss Granger," McGonagall rubbed her face, "it is close to ten at night. What lawyer is going to agree to meet at a castle to discuss a lethal use of magic?"

"One that wants to earn overtime."

"Miss Granger…"

"Fine," Hermione threw her hands in the air, "I caught him near the seventh floor—where he's not supposed to be, so I told him he had to go back to his dorms. I even agreed to escort him down, since I wasn't sure he would actually go."

"Idiot mistake number one," Severus mumbled under his breath.

"When we got to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, he pulled out his wand," Hermione grimaced, "and not the one you're all thinking of."

"Idiot mistake number two…"

"I'm starting to second guess myself," Sirius said, brow furrowing. "And I don't know if I want to know what's going to happen next."

"I don't either," Draco said through gritted teeth. "I might just have to _sectumsempra_ him again."

"Now, let the poor girl finish," Harry said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What happened, 'Mione?"

"He cast _crucio_ at me," Hermione shivered, "and if I hadn't jumped out of the way, it would have hit me. I heard him say another curse—this one started with an A—and I said the first spell I could think of…"

"Idiot mistake number three…" Severus snorted. "We have a winner."

"How is that the first spell you could think of?" Professor McGonagall asked, arms crossed.

Hermione shrugged. "It said, 'For enemies'."

McGonagall glared. "And how did you come across this spell 'for enemies'?" She pointedly stared at Severus.

"Uhm," Severus rubbed his forehead, "I don't know how to answer that one."

"Isn't that in your advanced potions' text?" Draco's eyes widened, "I dropped that off on your coffee table two weeks ago."

"That raises more questions," Minerva said, tapping her foot. "Severus, what was Miss Granger doing in your rooms?"

"I don't know how to answer that one, either." Severus's eyes narrowed. "Wait, how did I end up on trial?"

"Oh, I know that one," Dora said, popping around the corner.

"Miss Tonks?" Minerva said, quirking a brow. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was waiting…" Dora furrowed her brow. "Wait, that sounds too suggestive. I was…" She paused. "On my way to…no. Sorry, Sev, I can't make you sound innocent in all this."

"But I am!" Severus growled.

Dora smiled, turning to Minerva. "Sometimes I invite Luna and Hermione over for tea in Sev's quarters."

"Highly unprofessional…" McGonagall started. She sighed, "But I can't fault him for something his fiancée is doing."

"Thank you," Severus said. "However, if you can think of a way to ban it from happening, feel free to pipe up with ideas. I can't seem to stop it." He shook his head and grabbed Harry and Draco by the shoulder. "Well, Minerva, it sounds like you and Sirius have this handled. I can't say much against Miss Granger if it is self-defense. I will take these two miscreants to bed."

Harry turned to Sirius and Severus. "How did Professor McGonagall know about _sectumsempra_?"

Sirius shrugged. "Eh, Sevvie might have used it against Jamie after the whole 'debriefing' after the DADA O.W.L."

"Well, I can't say it's unjustified…"

Severus growled again, pulling the two boys toward their dorms.

"However, it might have been a little over the top."

"Not another word, Mr. Potter, or I will force you to do lines."

The next Saturday, Harry met Sirius in front of Dumbledore's gargoyle.

"You ready?" Sirius asked. His godson nodded. "Alrighty, then." He turned to the statue. "Pixie stix."

They arrived at the top of the stairs, entering just in time to hear Dumbledore plead with someone in the next room.

"Master, please. You ask too much of me."

"Please, Severus. You promised."

"Actually," Severus said, "I made a promise to Lily's child. This does not fall into the category of 'Protecting Harry Potter'." His eyes narrowed. "In fact, it probably falls into the opposite category."

"But Severus, think of the young soul that will…"

"I have another young soul that needs looking after." Sirius and Harry could see Severus cross his arms as they peeked through the crack in the door. "As Black must accompany Potter on this mission and Lupin has a date, I am in charge of babysitting."

"Sirius trusts you with his daughter?"

"Exclusively." Severus turned, nearly hitting the two with the door as he opened it. He glanced behind him. "If that is all, headmaster, I must relieve Lupin of his duties." He nodded to the two. "Black. Harry."

"Oh, there you two are," Dumbledore said, flicking his wand and locking the office down. "Harry, I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's no problem, Headmaster," Harry said, following the man toward the outer edge of the wards.

"It's just that he is the man who told Voldemort the prophecy." The old man's brow furrowed. "Oh, no, you didn't know."

"Oh, yes I did. He told me."

Sirius choked, thumping his chest to aid his breathing

"Well, then…" Dumbledore's eyes scanned the area. "We better be off. Tell me, Harry, have you ever apparated before?"

"Well, we've been learning about it in school…"

"Would you like to try?"

"Hell no," Sirius said, pulling his godson close to him. "He has no license and the furthest he's successfully gotten was five feet." He wrapped an arm around the boy. "I'll take him."

"Are you sure you want to come, Sirius?" Albus asked. "I mean, you never know what Severus might do to your daughter."

"There's no way you're going to stop me."

"And Professor Snape would never hurt Siria." Harry glared. "He spends every evening reading her 'A is for Asphodel' and telling her bedtime stories."

"You're joking."

"No, I'm serious."

"Actually, I'm Sirius," the DADA professor said, eyes sparkling.

"Sirius, not the time."

The three apparated away, arriving at a dingy beach.

"What do you think?" asked Dumbledore.

"They brought the kids from the orphanage here?" Harry asked, nose scrunching. "Did they hate them?"

"What kids from the orphanage?" Sirius asked.

"Riddle's orphanage."

"Riddle owned an orphanage?"

"No, Sirius, Riddle was an orphan."

"Oh, yes, you told me that."

"Was it at one of your sleepovers to promote student-teacher relations?" Albus asked, peering at Sirius from the side of his eye.

"Oh, you heard about that, did you?"

"I wouldn't have said no."

"And that's the problem," Harry muttered. They arrived at the edge of the cliff, looking over the side.

"Hell no," Sirius said, watching the waves lap against the jagged rocks.

"Oh please," Harry said, moving over to the boulder next to them. "He's not going to make us jump."

"Will either of you object to getting a little wet?" Albus asked, situating himself on the big rock.

"Nope," Harry said, jumping in front of the elderly man and sliding down into the ocean.

"Harry!" Sirius called, jumping in front of Dumbledore to save his godson.

"What happened to age before beauty?" the headmaster asked, glaring as he flopped into the water.

"I was thinking youngest to oldest."

The water was colder than he remembered. Harry shivered. Okay, maybe this wasn't his smartest idea. He followed the headmaster as they swam to the opening of a dark tunnel. He pulled out his wand and cast a lumos. Sirius followed suit.

The darkness abated, but the chill in the air did not help the oncoming hypothermia. Harry's mind wandered. Would Hermione and Draco take care of Luna if he died a grizzly death here in the cave? When all was said and done, the horcrux had been what protected him from death previously. If he made a mistake, that was it. No going back.

"This is the place," Dumbledore called out, rising out of the water and rubbing the walls.

"How can you tell?" Sirius asked, brow furrowed.

"It has known magic."

"Most of this world has known magic at one point by now, old man."

"Fine." Albus swiveled to stare Sirius in the eye. "I forced my way into the homes of the two muggles tortured here and read their minds to find out where Tom might have hidden his murderous soul piece. Happy?"

Sirius turned to his godson. "Well that's not out-of-character at all."

"This is the antechamber…"

"We don't need the grand tour, Albus." Sirius crossed his arms. "Just do what you need to do to get done what we're here to do."

"That's a lot of do's." Harry said, smirking. "To do or not to do, that is the question."

"Oh, surely not. So crude," Albus said, ignoring the godson-godfather duo.

"What is it, Albus?" Sirius asked, walking over to take a better look.

"I rather think," Albus grabbed his potions knife, "that we are required to make a payment to pass."

Harry turned to his godfather. "Do I have to make a stupid comment about paying the door something? Because I have a couple galleons and knuts on me that I can use as props."

"No, I think you've already succeeded in looking quite dumb," Sirius said, patting his godson on the back.

"I try."

"Albus," Sirius held out his hand, "I'll do it."

"It requires blood, Padfoot."

"I figured that, Harry."

The headmaster shrugged. "Okay." He raised the knife and slashed the animagus's hand.

"Oh," Harry said, crossing his arms. "So, my blood's too precious, but his blood is perfectly regular, old…"

"Harry," Dumbledore walked through the opening, "when you save the world a few times, your blood becomes more valuable than others."

The boy rolled his eyes.

Sirius stopped, staring at the lake that had consumed his brother. He swallowed a lump in his throat. This was not a place he needed to be in for more than a few minutes.

"Let's get what we came here to get and leave." Sirius held up his wand. "Accio Horcrux."

"Sirius…" Harry held his head in his hand. "That won't work. He's charmed it to not come when called."

"However, he has charmed the multiple inferi in the lake to answer anyone's request for a horcrux," Albus said, eyes sparkling.

"So," Harry said, trying to get them on track, "that thing in the middle of the lake is the horcrux?"

Albus frowned. "Well, it contains the horcrux, but yes." He pursed his lips. "How did you know that?"

"Professor, we are in the middle of a completely empty cave, with the only things here being a lake full of inferi and a goblet situated smack dab in the middle of it. I can make my own deductions from there."

"Yes, well, we need to get across, get the horcrux, and get out," Sirius said, walking to the edge of the lake.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Harry said, walking over to where the invisible boat lay submerged.

"Yes," Albus said, grimacing. "But how would you know?"

"Do you want to get the fake horcrux or not?"

"Fake?"

"Okay," Sirius said, shrugging, "accio fake horcrux." The locket flew out of the goblet and landed in the man's hand. "That was easy."

The headmaster grimaced. "I was planning on this taking a lot longer."

"Well, you are starting to lose your wits, Dumbles."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry waved a hand in the air, "Dumbles is crazy. Sirius is innovative. Let's just get back in time for the big death eater invasion."

"How do you know about that?" Dumbledore asked.

"How do _you_ know about that?" Sirius asked, eyes narrowing at the headmaster.

"Do you think there is anything that goes on in that castle I don't know about?"

"Did you just incriminate yourself?"

Albus smiled. "Did I?"

"Let's get out of here," Harry suggested. "I have a goddaughter who needs her lullaby."

"Wait a minute," Sirius said, staring at the lake.

"What, Sirius?"

"Accio Regulus Black."

"Sirius, that's not going to work."

The cave trembled. All three men fell to the ground. Ripples in the lake turned to small waves. A body shot out of the water, flying to the top of the cave, landing right in front of Lord Black.

"Well, what do you know," Harry said, brow quirked. "I was wrong." He looked over at his godfather. "Is that really him?"

Albus stared at Harry. "Do you think it would have brought out some random body?"

"No…it's just…he died before I was born." Harry crossed his arms. "I wanted to make sure."

"So, Sirius," Dumbledore turned to the man, "what do you plan to do now? Bring a dead body back to the castle?"

"He deserves a proper burial," Sirius said, hoisting the body up bridal style.

"We don't need two burials, Padfoot," Harry said.

Albus grimaced. "How do you know there's going to be a second burial, Harry?"

"Oh come on, like you didn't just ask Professor Snape to kill you."

"Is nothing private anymore?"

"No," Harry and Sirius said in unison. They walked off, Dumbledore running to catch up.

They apparated to Hogsmeade. Above Hogwarts castle hovered a dark mark. Harry glanced over at Sirius, and Sirius looked down at the body of his brother.

Sirius sighed. "Yeah, I might not have thought this through."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Dobby?"

"Master Harry!" the excitable elf cheered, popping in front of them. "Dobby has not heard you in long time."

"Dobby, can you apparate us to the astronomy tower?"

"Harry," Sirius scowled, "the astronomy tower? Why not the Gryffindor common room?"

"Nope. Has to be the tower."

"I's can do it, Master Harry Potter, sir," Dobby said, snapping his fingers.

They appeared on the tower, Dumbledore surveying the room.

"That was so easy," Harry said. "Why don't we just do that for everything?"

"Sure," Dumbledore muttered, eyes flittering to different areas. "Everyone gets their own personal house elf to apparate them around."

The boy turned to the elf. "Thanks, Dobby. You're the best."

"Master Harry Potter has said Dobby is best. Master Harry Potter is so kind," the elf said, hugging the boy.

"Yes, Dobby. Sure, but can you call me Harry? Not Master Harry, just Harry?"

"Okay, Just Harry." With that, Dobby popped away.

"Well, I guess that's better." Harry's head perked as he heard steps echoing from the stairs. "Padfoot, we better go."

"Go where?" Sirius asked. "This is where the fight is."

"You are not currently in a position to be fighting," Harry said, pulling on his godfather's sleeve.

"True." Sirius shifted his weight to look at the headmaster. "Are you coming?"

"Sadly, no." The headmaster sighed and stared straight at Harry. "I want you to know that while we disagreed on many things, I am proud of you and know you'll do the right thing."

"The soul piece is already out of my scar," Harry said, crossing his arms. "Got some help. Wasn't that hard. Although, when Severus Snape is on a mission, he never gives up."

"Harry," Albus's mouth fell, "you didn't. Voldemort had to kill you. It was necessary for him to play a role in his own downfall."

"That wasn't your choice to make." Harry grimaced. "In fact, my entire life wasn't your choice to make." He sighed. "We tried that way once and it didn't work."

"What?"

"I'm a time traveler. Have been since first year. We came back from the end of the world. Your way didn't work. Leading me like a pig to slaughter got us nothing. Voldemort still won." Harry rubbed his eyes. "I know I should be madder at you right now. You destroyed my life last time. But knowing you're about to die…just know this relationship could have been better. You lost your biggest supporter in your quest to be right."

With that, Harry grabbed Sirius and pulled him toward the exit. They made it just in time for…Zabini to rush in? Harry squinted and looked at Sirius.

"Zabini?"

"Don't look at me," Sirius said, head shaking. "I'm just as surprised as you are. You said Voldemort had a thing for half-bloods."

"I was thinking more of a soft spot…" Harry pursed his lips. "…But I guess he could've had a thing for them, too."

"Kinky."

"Mr. Zabini," Dumbledore said, effectively pulling the two onlookers out of the whispered debate, "I…"

Blaise raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra."

Harry turned to his godfather. "That was more anticlimactic than last time."


	75. Death Eater Invasion

A/N: We did a thing. If you don't like our thing, that is fine. However, please do not flame us for our thing. Happy Easter. He is risen in deed! :)

"I know we're meant to change things up," Remus said, hands on hips as he watched his friend coming towards him. "But carrying around a dead body into battle was not what I had in mind."

"Well, maybe you would leave your baby brother to his fate." Sirius glared. "I, on the other hand, wanted to give him a proper burial."

The wolf's eyes surveyed the body. His brow furrowed. "He died eighteen years ago. How is his body still intact?"

"How are you a DADA professor and not know the answer to this question?"

"Well, excuse me!" Remus glared. "Severus took over the sixth- and seventh-year curriculum after you refused to stop turning into Padfoot and attacking me whenever I tried to sit you down and lesson plan."

"All you had to do was say 'sit'." Sirius scrunched his nose. "I'm very obedient."

"No, you're not."

"Guys," Harry said, tugging on his godfather's robes, "there's sort of a death eater attack going on, and we're kind of carrying more than we can handle right now."

"Fine." Sirius shifted his brother's body. "Let's drop this off with Spots and get back to fighting."

"Look who's being insensitive now," Remus huffed.

Severus whipped out his wand at the sound of the portrait hole opening. He scowled at the intruders. Of all the idiotic….

"Black? What are you doing here?" His eyes widened as he caught sight of the animagus's load. "What is that? Who was hurt?"

In response, Sirius dropped the body on the couch. Regulus turned slightly, his face covered in curly brown locks.

"Sirius, is that…?"

"No," Sirius glared, "it's some other body we found in the cave where my brother died."

"But, Sirius…"

"I don't need to go over this for a third time." Sirius grabbed his wand. "Just make sure no one steals him or my daughter." He turned around, yelling over his shoulder. "We'll be back eventually."

Severus rolled his eyes. "So much for subtility." He sighed and picked up Siria. "Well, Miss Black, it appears your father has no concerns over your psychological health. However, I do not want to see you scarred by the image of your decomposing uncle." His eyes narrowed. "Or, not so decomposing…"

He shook his head. Now was not the time to consider inaccuracies in scientific observations. He had an infant to feed. He pulled out a bottle from the cupboard and began mixing the formula just as Dora had shown him. He bounced and rocked a bit. With any luck, he should be able to get Siria down for a nap before her father returned.

"He's just as peaceful as you are when you sleep."

Severus whirled around, babe still in hand. "How did you get in here?"

Pale silver eyes sparkled in the light. "I've been reading in Professor Lupin's room."

"This entire time?"

"Yes. I came in right about the time Harry and Sirius left for the cave."

"And did Professor Lupin know you were there?"

Luna nodded. "He's the one who let me in."

Severus shook his head and sat down. He reclined and propped Siria's head against his shoulder before feeding her.

"Who is he?" the Ravenclaw asked, sitting down and clearing the hair from his face.

"Sirius's dead brother."

"He sure breathes a lot for a dead man."

Severus sat up quickly, adjusting Siria in his arms. "What was that you said?"

"He sure breathes a lot for a dead man."

"He isn't breathing, Miss Lovegood," Severus said, rising from his spot and walking over to the couch.

"Yes he is." She pushed his arm away from his chest. "Look."

The potions master handed the baby to the girl. She quirked a brow for a second before cradling the girl close to her chest.

Meanwhile, the professor leaned in toward the man's face. It couldn't be true, could it? There was no way a man presumed dead for eighteen years could have survived. And Miss Lovegood was known to be quite whimsical. He held up his hand to check for a pulse.

Silver eyes flashed open. A hand grabbed onto Severus's and wouldn't let go. Severus screamed and jumped back. He fell on his bum, holding his chest as he tried to even out his breaths.

"Snape?" Regulus said, rising. His eyes scanned the room. "Where am I?"

The potions master's mouth bobbed wordlessly. How was this possible? How could he be alive? What did he do now? His eyes widened. What was he going to tell Sirius?

"I think you rendered him speechless," Luna said, rocking Siria. "Very few have been able to do that."

Regulus blinked several times. "Thank you?" He scrunched his brow. "And you are?"

"Luna Lovegood," she extended her free hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Black."

"Lovegood? Like, Xenophilius?" Luna nodded. "I didn't know he married."

"Yes, yes he did."

"And to someone so young."

"Oh, no," the Ravenclaw shook her head, "I'm his daughter."

Silver eyes widened. "Wha—How old are you?"

"Sixteen." The youngest Black started crying in Luna's arms. "It's alright, Siria."

"Siria?"

"Yes, Sirius's daughter."

"Sirius has a daughter?" Regulus asked, hand holding his head. "I didn't realize he married, either."

"Oh, no, he hasn't." Luna held the girl closer to her uncle. "She's the product of a one-night stand in a broom closet."

"One-night stand?"

"In a broom closet."

"Classy, Siri." Regulus shook his head. "Where is he?" He turned his head. "Where are we, exactly?"

Severus swallowed. "We are currently in the DADA professor quarters at Hogwarts."

Regulus scowled. "You're the DADA professor?"

"Hardly."

The Black heir stared over at Luna. "Well, she's sixteen. I know she isn't."

"I'm currently babysitting for your brother. I don't think I'd take your niece to my quarters for that."

"That doesn't answer any of my questions." Brown curls flew as he shook his head. "In fact, it raises quite a few more."

"Why don't you take a long, soothing shower while I figure out a way to convince your brother we haven't all gone insane," Severus suggested, taking the young man by the shoulder and leading him toward the bathroom. "Although, I am currently trying to convince myself of that." He scowled. "I might need a second opinion."

"I have an opinion," Luna said, grabbing the bottle from the table and continuing to feed Siria.

"Yours doesn't count."

The portrait swung open once more. Severus spun, wand already in hand, a curse on his lips.

"Wotcher, my love."

Severus's shoulder's sagged. "Dora, dear, what are you doing here?"

Dora shrugged. "I was sent to check on a baby and a dead body." Her brow furrowed. "I was told it would be on the couch." She turned, her body freezing. "Uhm, dear, how did you lose a dead body?"

"So it moved for you, too." Severus rubbed his eyes. "Good. I'm not going insane."

"That depends on where the body is, dear."

"Currently in the shower getting the stench of death off of him."

"Sweetheart," Dora said, moving toward the bathroom, "if I find a dead body in the bathtub, I'm having you committed." She turned the knob. "I know that watching a baby is stressful…"

"Don't go in there!" Severus yelled, rushing toward his fiancée.

"Why?" Dora asked, brow quirked. She cracked the door. "It's not like he's going to be naked." She scowled. "You didn't undress him, did you?" She threw the door open. In front of her was a fully naked younger-looking Sirius. She screamed and her hair turned white.

"Nymphadora?" Regulus's eyes scrunched.

"What...how…You're not dead!"

"That is the understatement of the century," Severus said, rubbing his forehead.

"Can this discussion wait until I'm fully clothed?" Regulus asked, holding up a towel.

"Sure," Dora said, closing the door. "You shower." She turned and walked into Remus's room. "I'm going to go process."

Severus sighed, closing his eyes. So, this was real. Regulus was alive. And now he had to tell Sirius Black. Or he could have Dora do it.

"Is that really what Sirius would look like naked?" Luna asked, head tilted.

The potions master rubbed his temples. "Miss Lovegood, please put Siria in the nursery and get back to your dorm." She nodded and turned to leave. He grabbed her shoulder. "And mention not a word of this to anyone."

Sirius and Remus leaned against the stone edifice of the castle. Hagrid's fire-engulfed hut lit up the dark landscape, allowing them to watch Bellatrix's curls bounce out of view.

"Well," Remus gasped, bending lower, "that could've gone better."

"It could've…gone worse…too," Sirius added, placing his head on the cold stone. Trying to avoid being killed was a lot harder when one knew they had a child to get to bed soon.

"Too true." The wolf stood straighter, cracking his neck. "I'm getting too old for this, Padfoot."

"Don't say that," Sirius said, rubbing his shoulder, "because if you are, then I am, too."

"Let's check on the Trio and then get some sleep." They stretched some more. "The full moon is in a week, and it takes more and more out of me every month."

They headed up to the great hall, eyes scanning the ruins for three plucky Gryffindor sixth-years. They'd last seen the time travelers dueling Finnegan near the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms. Did that mean they'd have to go all the way down to the dungeons?

"Padfoot!" Harry cried out, running and hugging his godfather.

"Harry," Sirius breathed in his godson's scent, "you're safe."

"Yep." The young man smiled, green eyes sparkling. "That's what happens when you have people backing you."

Remus smirked, patting Draco on the shoulder. "That's what friends are for."

"Speaking of friends," Hermione's smile widened, "don't you have to relieve one from diaper duty?"

"Oh yeah," Sirius said, nodding. "Tonks never got back to me on how they were doing." He scrunched his nose. "I really hope they didn't get distracted in their own Siria making."

"I don't think they're going to be broom-closeting any time soon," Draco said, yawning. "Well, it's past my bedtime." He pulled Hermione over to him. "Good night."

Harry watched them walk off. "That reminds me," he scowled, "I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours."

"What were you doing so early in the morning?"

"You try and sleep when you know your headmaster's going to be killed."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Go get some sleep, cub." He dropped a kiss on the boy's hair. "Come by in the morning so we can discuss funeral plans."

Sirius and Remus hobbled toward their living quarters. With all that had happened in the last several hours, Sirius was emotionally and physically drained. He needed to hold his daughter and get some sleep, not necessarily in that order. Severus was, after all, the best at getting Siria to go to bed.

They opened the door to find Severus sitting on the body-free couch, flipping a potions magazine.

"Uhm, Spots…"

"Yes?"

"Where's the body?"

"Currently changing into some of your old clothes." Severus looked up. "I hope you don't mind."

"What?" Sirius asked, mouth dropping.

"Oh, did you still plan on using them? I guess we could go out and get more…"

"Is Tonks changing them?"

Severus shook his head. "Dora's in Moony's room processing."

"Processing what?" Sirius asked. "That her fiancé somehow lost a body?"

"I didn't lose it." Severus set down the magazine and crossed his arms. "I know exactly where it is…"

"Snape. I don't mean to question your sense of style, but you're seriously telling me this is what is in fashion now…?" Regulus walked out as he shrugged on his robe. He stopped, eyes roving over the newcomers. "Siri?"

Sirius stared at the young man before him. Was this real? Sev seemed to think so. Dora was processing…something. This probably was it. He walked over, his throat tightening. Could this be? He wrapped his arms around the figure. It was the only way to know for sure…

Arms returned the hug. This was real. His brother was alive. He choked back a sob as Regulus shook in his arms. He kissed his brother's head and squeezed tighter.

"I'm sorry, Siri. I'm so sorry," the younger Black cried. "You were right about him. You were right about all of it."

"It's okay. It's alright," Sirius whispered into his brother's ear. "All that matters is your safe now."

"I missed so much…"

"So did I." Sirius pulled away reluctantly. "We'll catch you up."

"What did you miss?" Regulus asked, brow furrowing.

"They haven't caught you up much, have they?"

"All I know is I've missed about sixteen years…"

"Eighteen, actually."

"…and my niece's birth."

Sirius shrugged. "Only by a couple months." He smiled. "You met her?"

"For a moment." Silver eyes sparkled. "You would be vain enough to name her after yourself."

"Is she still up?" Sirius asked, walking over to the nursery.

"Probably," Severus said, watching as Sirius disappeared into the room. "I had Miss Lovegood put her down."

"Luna was here?"

"I let her in," Remus said.

Severus glared at the wolf. "Yes, thanks for that." He crossed his arms. "Scared me half-to-death."

"Worse than my waking up?" Regulus asked, taking a seat.

"No, that scared me out of my wits."

"Quite obviously."

Remus walked over to his room, opening the door before shutting it quickly. "Why is Dora in my room?"

"I told you. She's in there processing," Severus said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, but that doesn't actually explain a lot." Remus crossed his arms. "And I would like to go to bed."

"You seriously think you can sleep after all this?"

"Like a cub."

"Looks like someone's Uncle Sev was right," Sirius said, bringing out a very-much-awake Siria from her nursery.

"Well, if he doesn't put her down, no one gets her to sleep," Remus muttered, leaning against the doorframe of his room.

Regulus watched the squirming form cautiously. "Are we sure she's your daughter?"

"Yes. Spots and Dora made me do three different blood tests."

"Three?" Regulus scrunched his brow. "And who's Spots?"

"One muggle, one potions-based, and one charms-based," Severus answered. "And, regrettably, I am Spots."

"Since when?"

"Since they adopted me as a marauder."

"Since when?"

"Since it turned out I'm Harry Potter's second godfather."

"James and Lily had a son?" Regulus's eyes widened.

"He's singly the most important person in the dark lord's downfall," Severus said, leaning back in his chair.

"He's dead?"

"Well, no."

Sirius shook his head. "We really should get you up-to-speed on all you missed. But first," he held out Siria, "would you like to hold your niece?"

"Very much so."


	76. Seventh Year One

"Moony, why are you trying to put a bow in her hair?" Sirius asked, scowling as he entered Siria's nursery.

"She's a girl, Sirius," Remus said, trying to center the sparkly clip. "That's what they wear." He grimaced. "Besides, the last time I took her on a walk, someone mentioned what a beautiful baby boy she was."

"But where'd you get it?"

"I got it for her," Regulus said, leaning against the door jam. "The lady in that grocery shop down the way said it was a good one."

"What are you doing out?" Sirius asked, eyes widening. "Everyone's supposed to think you're dead." He scowled. "And what are you doing buying her things? That's my job."

Regulus rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's the parent's job to raise the child. It's the uncle's job to spoil them."

"This girl has got too many uncles and not enough fathers," Draco said, shaking his head.

"You're one to talk," Sirius said, glaring. "You're the worst offender. You got her an entire play potions kit…cauldron and fake fire included."

"She has to learn young. Just like I did."

"I just want to see what happens when she hits puberty," Harry said, sitting in the rocking chair. "None of us are girls."

"Do we count Dora as a girl?" Draco asked, brow furrowed.

"Well, of course. She's a girl."

"Well, there you go! There's our girl."

"Yes," Sirius said, grabbing his daughter from the doting werewolf. "But she's not raising my child."

"No, that's my job," Remus said, glaring. "Exclusively."

"Not necessarily true."

"Who put her to bed the past five nights?"

"Well, it's not like you have any pressing plans since Annie broke up with you last week."

"Low blow, Black," Regulus said, playfully glaring at his older brother.

"Remind me again how you're still alive," Harry said, brow furrowed. "Last time, you were definitely dead."

"Not true, scarhead," Draco said, arms crossed. "You just didn't Accio him out of the lake."

"I didn't know he existed at that point."

"Enough," Remus said, standing in-between the two time travelers. "Harry, Severus has explained this three times now. He was pulled into the lake, which had a stasis charm on it. Originally meant to keep the inferi from deteriorating, it in fact had a similar effect as cryogenics would on a recently deceased body."

"But that only explains why he was in pristine condition," Draco said, head cocked to the side. "It says nothing as to why he was in an alive condition."

"He drowned and swallowed some of the water," Sirius said, rocking Siria, "effectively placing his entire body under a stasis spell."

"In normal person terms," Regulus held up his hands and struck a pose, "ta da!"

"And people say I'm the drama queen of the family."

"I think you all tie for first place," Remus said, folding Siria's blankets back. He jumped when a cellphone began to ring.

"Nope, not mine," Sirius said, cleaning Siria's mouth from the bout of spit up she'd just had.

"What is that?" Regulus asked, eyes surveying the room for the source of the noise.

"Cellphone," Draco said, lazily skimming through some of Siria's books. "But not mine, I swear."

"When did you get a cellphone?" Harry asked, brow furrowed.

"Aunt Andy likes to keep tabs on me," Draco shrugged, "and Hermione's appreciating it, too."

"You know," Regulus grimaced, "the thought of Cissy having a son is almost as strange as Dora dating Severus."

"He's not just dating her, mate," Harry said, throwing his legs over the arm of the chair. "He's marrying her in three months."

"Three months?"

"They wanted to wait to make sure Siria could hold her head up and sit in a wagon pulled by Padfoot."

"Who planned that?"

"Sirius did," Remus said as he pulled out his phone. "Looks like that's me. I better take this."

Remus walked out of the room, leaving the four Blacks and one Potter to their own devices.

And for most of the day, that meant they did absolutely nothing. Sirius did some lesson planning. Regulus read some modern history books. Draco worked on his thesis for his potions mastery. Harry played with Siria.

Around five, Sirius got up and stretched.

"Well, it's time for me to make dinner."

"Wait, what?" Harry jumped to his feet. "Didn't Mione, Dora, Andy, Severus, and all the house elves ban you from cooking?"

"Yes," Sirius crossed his arms, "but I found a cook book. And it is ten times better than Mione, Dora, Andy, Severus, and all the house elves combined." He lowered his voice. "Mostly because it's not five different people all telling me what to do at once."

"What possessed you to do this?"

"Mione required all the house elves to take a mandatory vacation and our current cook is out doing God-knows-what. Moony said he'd try and do it, but he had an urgent phone call to take and he has yet to be back." Sirius motioned to his cousin. "And do you trust Draco to do the cooking?"

"Hey," Draco scowled, "I almost have a potions mastery."

"Draco, I know for a fact the potions and cooking are not the same thing." Sirius shook his head. "And when you try to do cooking with potions you either blow things up or poison people." He pursed his lips. "Either way, I'm the only one available to do the cooking."

"What about me?" Harry asked, brow furrowed. "I used to cook for the Dursleys all the time."

"And you never actually got to be a child." Sirius pushed the boy out the door. "Go have fun."

Draco followed Harry outside. Regulus followed Draco, holding Siria in his arms.

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Draco asked.

"You know," Harry quirked a brow, "he only sent me outside."

"Yes, but we don't really have anything else to do," Regulus said.

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well, I have always wanted to take Sirius's motorbike for a ride…"

Sirius finished putting together the dinner and placing it in the oven. He walked over and began washing his hands. Siria needed to be fed and bathed before they ate. He looked out the window, cherishing the beauty of the summer day. The horizon was beautiful and…Was that a flying motorbike?

Sirius ran out into the yard in time to see Harry turn the steering wheel left, causing the entire bike to somersault before righting itself. Draco yelled, holding on tighter to Harry as the wind whipped through his blond hair. Regulus tightened his grip on Siria.

"Harry James Potter, Draconus Lucius Black, and Regulus Arcturus Black, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sirius called out. Harry landed the bike within seconds.

"It's just like flying a broom," Harry said, hopping off.

Draco pointed his wand at his bum. "And sticking charms are dead useful."

"You were almost dead!" Sirius crossed his arms. "What were you thinking sending Siria up with you?"

"Isn't it poetic justice?" Harry asked, brow furrowed. "Godfather taking their godchild up on the motorbike?"

"Moony told us you did that when Harry was a baby," Draco said, jumping down.

"Yes, and he remembers it so well because he had to keep Lily from killing me," Sirius said, scowling. "Whose idea was this?"

Draco and Harry both stared at Regulus. The man cautiously backed away.

"Now, Siri, you have to remember the time you and I took Dad's broom…"

"Harry," Sirius said, turning to his godson, "take Siria to the kitchen and give her a bottle."

Harry reached over and took the infant. "But, I wanna see…"

"Harry James, if you know what's good for you, you will leave the area. Anyone left here in five seconds will be fully responsible for the harm I inflict on them." Regulus jumped and made to run. Sirius grabbed the back of his robe. "Not happening."

The two Hogwarts students walked inside, leaving the two brothers to hash out their grievances.

"Now, Siri, remember just a few weeks ago we were celebrating I was alive…"

"Regulus," Sirius rubbed his eyes, "you were the responsible one."

"Yeah," the younger man crossed his arms, "I had to be because you weren't." He scowled. "So now, I'm taking back my childhood."

"No one asked you to be responsible, Reg…"

"Then who was supposed to be?"

"No one?"

"Oh, yeah, and that would've worked well."

"We had two adult parents." Sirius scowled. "It was their job to be responsible, not us."

"Oh, yeah, when?" Regulus glared. "Those few times when Dad wasn't at the business end of the bottle? Or how about that one time Mum was actually lucid enough to eat regularly and act like a human being?" He dropped into a patio chair. "One of us had to be the adult, Siri. I knew you had the worst of it. They expected you to take on that role, and you rebelled against it."

"That didn't mean you had to."

"Yes it did," Regulus said, jumping up again. "One of us had to keep the family running. One of us had to keep Mum sane and Dad away from the liquor cabinet. One of us had to keep up the family image. And it sure as hell wasn't going to be you." He took a few deep breaths. "So, for once, I want to lose myself in the moment. I want to enjoy my life. Be a kid. Make some mistakes."

"At the cost of my daughter's life?" Sirius asked, scowl deepening.

"She was fine. I made sure of it." Regulus frowned. "Did you really think for a moment I would put my niece in danger?"

"Well, I…"

"I would die before I let her get a scratch." Regulus's throat tightened. "I love that little girl. And I love you, Siri. I wouldn't want you to lose her, too."

Sirius crossed his arms. "Your actions aren't saying that."

"You just need to learn to trust someone, Siri. And who better than me?"

"I do trust you. But this has nothing to do with trust."

"Then what are you so mad about?"

"You sent my three-month-old daughter into the air without even informing me!" Sirius shook his head. "Merlin, I sound like Lily."

"Guess that's what happens when you become a mother."

Sirius sighed. "Just go inside and get cleaned up." He rubbed his eyes. "I'll deal with all of you once Spots gets home."

{Scene break}

Remus stumbled out of the floo. This was not happening. This was just a bad dream. He'd talk with Padfoot and Spots and they'd all laugh. Right? He shook his head. Where was everybody? At this point in the evening, everyone usually congregated in the living area. Yet, the only sounds he heard came from the kitchen.

He moved closer, hoping to find someone to talk with at the moment.

"Where were you tonight?" Sirius's voice pierced through the door.

"I had a meeting," Severus replied, his voice hard and tired.

Remus opened the door quietly. It probably wasn't the best time to interrupt them, but he needed to get this out.

Before he could say a word, Sirius thrust his hands into the air. "And you didn't think to tell me about it?"

"I was at a death eater meeting. What was I supposed to do? Ask the dark lord to stop the meeting to floo call my worried housewife to say I wouldn't be here for supper?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "The kids made us communicators for a reason, Severus. You could've at least sent a short message so I knew to keep some food waiting for you with a warming charm."

"Risk my position with the Dark Lord for some warm dinner?" Severus weighed the options in his hands. "That sounds reasonable."

The animagus glared. "You could have at least had the decency to let me know you might not be here for dinner. I made a good meal and it had to go to waste…"

Severus rolled his eyes. "You are a wizard, Black. Use a spell."

"Send a patronus!"

"Fine! Next time, I'll call. I'll also tell them to address my body to Potter Manor, where the worrying wife can find me!"

Remus backed away slowly.

"Hiya Remus." The werewolf spun on the spot clutching his chest. "Something wrong?" Harry asked, brow furrowed in concern.

"Harry," the man said, catching his breath, "the only way I could explain it to you was in a therapy session with dolls."

"I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad."

The door opened, interrupting Harry. Sirius walked backwards, facing the potions master whose glare froze all in terror. Well, all except for one grim animagus.

"Fine. Pretend to be the Dark Lord's little puppet. Let Nagini bite and kill you like last time. See if I care."

"There's no reason for the dark lord to have Nagini kill me because I didn't kill Dumbledore."

"Oh, yeah, that's the only reason anyone would ever have for wanting to kill you, Spots." Sirius glared. "You're lucky I like you now."

"Or what? You'd sick the werewolf on me again?"

"It's just a few days until the full moon. Wanna see?"

"I'd love to see the wolf bite the hand that feeds his wolfsbane addiction."

"It's not an addiction," Remus said, stepping forward a tad.

"Moony?" Sirius turned, brow furrowing. "Where were you all day?"

"Oh," Severus placed his hands on his hips, "he gets to be AWOL all day gallivanting around, but I miss one dinner due to the dark lord's incessant need for bureaucracy and I'm the one tearing this family apart."

Harry turned to Remus. "Now I see why you're scared."

"Oh, hi Harry. Didn't see you there. Finished helping Regulus put Siria to bed?"

Severus's mouth dropped. "I thought that was exclusively my job!"

"Well, excuse me for wanting my daughter to go to bed at a decent time." Sirius crossed his arms. "Siria can't stay up until two in the morning waiting for her Uncle Sev to put her in her crib."

"What's going on?" Regulus asked, walking through the door. "I just put Siria to sleep. Unless either of you want to deal with a wailing infant for the next three hours, I suggest we lower our voices."

Sirius sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm trying to convince Ol' Spots to give up his position as spy."

"Why?" Draco asked, popping up from behind the couch.

"Dragon," Severus's brow furrowed, "what were you doing behind the couch."

"Petting my snake."

"You were what?"

"But then it went missing."

Harry stared down at himself before looking back at Draco. "How does it go missing?"

Draco shrugged. "One minute it was there. The next minute it was gone."

Severus, Sirius, and Regulus all exchanged defeated stares.

"Dragon," Severus walked over and patted his shoulder, "you really shouldn't do that in the open."

"What do you mean?" Draco tilted his head. "Severys loves it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sirius held up his hands. "Why did you name it Severus?"

"Wait," Remus walked over, picking up the offending creature, "I think he meant this snake."

Draco scrunched his nose. "What did you guys think I was talking about?"

Severus rubbed his head. "And why were you doing this behind the couch?"

"I was hiding."

"From what?"

"From being pulled into your civil war." The blond shook his head. "I don't want to pick a side."

"Missing the point," Harry said, flopping down onto the couch. "Why are you trying to convince Uncle Sev to leave the death eaters?"

"It's dangerous." Sirius held up a finger. "It puts a strain on his schedule." He held up a second finger. "And we already know what's going to happen."

"Not necessarily," Severus said under his breath. "Any number of things could have changed from last time." He pointed to Regulus. "Your brother rose from the dead."

"Are you calling me wizard Jesus?" Regulus asked.

Remus scowled. "How did you come up with that reference?"

"Being stuck in a house with nothing to do but read has left me with limited choices to do with my time." Regulus held up a history book. "I'm in the middle of the Crusades."

"But still, Jesus?"

"There was a footnote about their religious text: The Bible."

"And so, you read it?"

Regulus held up a leather-bound book. "Cover to cover."

"This is one rabbit-trail that needs to die," Severus said, sitting down in his recliner. "Black, I need to be in my position to ensure I become headmaster next year."

"You're the headmaster?" Regulus smirked. "I don't know what's scarier: Sirius as head of Gryffindor or you as head of Hogwarts."

"That being said," Severus said, gritting his teeth. "Without my high position in the inner circle, who knows who he'll place in charge of Amycus and Alecto?"

"Wait," Sirius's brow furrowed, "I'm still the DADA professor. How did they end up as professors at Hogwarts?"

"They haven't yet."

"Hold up," Draco said, raising a hand, "how the hell are you still DADA professor? You did your time. The curse should have thrown you out on your behind."

"I signed my contract back in November," Sirius said, turning to his cousin. "Since Harry still had the horcrux, the position accepted me as Ol' Voldie."

Draco's eyes sparkled. "So, does that mean the curse is broken?"

Remus shook his head. "Sadly, no. If we don't defeat you-know-who by the end of the year, Sirius's life is in mortal peril."

"I get Siria," Draco yelled, hand raised in the air.

"Why do you get Siria?" Harry asked, scowling. "She's my goddaughter, too."

"She's my niece," Regulus said. "If anyone deserves her, it's me."

"Enough," Severus said, clearing his throat. "I think we all would play a prominent role in Siria's upbringing in the case of Black's unfortunate demise."

"Hey, I'm not dead yet," Sirius said, scowling. He turned to Remus. "Moony, why didn't you fight for her?"

"Oh, me?" The werewolf shook his head. "Nah, I'll have my hands full already."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, that's what I came here to tell you. Annie's pregnant."


	77. Seventh Year Two

Sirius tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Can we hurry this along?" he asked, sighing.

Severus glared. "Do you have somewhere better to be?"

"Moony's bringing his girl around to see Hogwarts."

"His girl? I thought they broke up," Narcissa said, brow quirked.

Sirius jumped from his chair. "What are you doing here?"

"Black," Severus stalked over to the animagus's spot, "I thought even you would recognize that with my ascension to the role as headmaster someone would need to take my place as potions professor and head of Slytherin."

"What about Slughorn?"

"You called?" the man himself asked, swirling his third whiskey on the rocks in his hand.

Severus rubbed his eyes. "Horace, it is ten in the morning."

"Time for me' mimosa, then."

Sirius shook his head. "I see your point." He crossed his arms. "But won't this cause a lot of unnecessary drama?"

"We have a werewolf, an illegitimate heiress, and another illegitimate child on the way," Severus rolled his eyes, "I don't think there is anything such as more unnecessary drama."

"She's pregnant?" Narcissa asked, pulling out a parchment and quill.

"Who are you getting your information from?" Severus shook his head. "They are far behind the times."

"Parkinson."

"Severus," McGonagall pulled the man's sleeve, "we are getting off track and Sirius does have a point."

"You're not in the tour of Hogwarts, too?" Severus asked, brow furrowed.

"I'm the guide."

"Fine," Severus sighed, reaching for his notes. "First order of business: new additions." He turned to Narcissa, who primped her hair. He scanned the room. "Do we need to go in deeper here?"

Sinistra raised her hand. "Will the Lupin child be considered a new addition?"

"To my house?" Sirius pointed at himself. "Yes. To your house? No. To Hogwarts?" He furrowed his brow. "Well, he is my personal nanny, but…we'll see."

"Next order of business," Severus looked down at the squiggles, "IEPs."

"Moony," Harry asked, hiding his eyes behind his hands. Siria began to mumble and grunt. "Peek-a-boo." The young witch giggled.

"Yes, Harry?" the man asked, coming in from the kitchen.

"How was your tour?" Harry hid his eyes again. "Peek-a-boo."

"It was nice. Annie was uneasy. Minerva asked for the wedding date."

"I'm guessing that didn't help."

"Oh, Minnie," Sirius said, flopping down into the lounge chair. "No concept of personal space."

"You are one to talk, Padfoot," Remus said, brow quirked.

"Did she mention if she was using a doula or going to hospital?"

Remus's face reddened. "Well, I…I never, Padfoot!"

"It's a valid question, Moons."

"The two of you are inconceivable," Severus said, sitting down next to Siria. "It's not a wonder she broke up with you." He glared at the wolf. "She wasn't intimidated by the wizarding world; she didn't want to play second fiddle to your first wife."

"He is most definitely not my wife," Remus said, arms crossed.

"Exactly," Sirius quirked a brow, "I'd be his husband."

"Well," Draco said, stretching as he yawned. "At least we've got that straightened out." He lifted his sleeve to reveal a very sleepy serpent. "Isn't that right, Sevvy?"

"You had to name the serpent after me," Severus groaned, rubbing his head.

"What would you have me name it?"

"Salazar?"

"I'm a Gryffindor," Draco said, mouth dropped in disgust. "I could never name my snake that. It would be blasphemy!"

"Blasphemy?" Dora asked, popping in from the floo. "I thought you were a Slytherin last time." She scrunched her nose. "Maybe I'm getting this all confused, again."

"No, you've got it right," Luna said, popping out from behind the sofa.

"Miss Lovegood," Severus crossed his arms, "how long have you been here?"

"Well, Harry invited me about a week ago…"

"Ho…ho…how?"

"You've been busy, Spots," Sirius said, patting the man's shoulder. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

"I'm a disgrace to the name of spy."

"You weren't that great before."

"You don't know how great I was…"

"You still haven't told me how the tour went," Harry said, hiding his eyes once more. Siria fussed. "Peek-a-boo."

"Yes," Remus shuffled from foot to foot, "it was fine. Annie said she was willing to give this world a shot."

"She broke up because she couldn't handle dating a wizard, but she's a-okay with birthing one?" Dora asked, sipping some water.

"What's she supposed to do, Dora?"

"Well, if I was her…"

"You once were…" Hermione said, apparating in. All in the room stared, mouth aghast.

"How did you…you were…?" Draco said, mouth bobbing.

"Harry had me listening in on the communicators. Once I heard Tonks come in, I figured 'Why not?'."

"Because you didn't want to give your professors a heart attack?" Severus asked, clutching his chest.

"But that would be no fun, Spots."

"Miss Granger…"

Her shoulders sagged and she stared at the ground. "Sorry, Professor."

Dora shook her head. "Anyway, if I was her…"

"Which you were…"

"Not important." She sighed. "I'd decide not to have the child and steal my name."

Remus scrunched his nose. "I'm not naming my child Tonks."

"Teddy, you dolt."

"Oh, of course, I'm naming the baby Teddy…if it's a boy."

"We do not need more baby girls without more women," Regulus said, shaking his head.

"I count three women in this room," Dora said, arms crossed.

"Isn't that enough?

"Anyway," Dora shook her head, ridding herself of errant thoughts, "I came here for a reason, and it wasn't to fight for my name."

"Which you won't get." Remus stood up, crossing his arms.

"Why are you so incessant on naming your son Teddy?"

"To keep timelines straight."

"Not to mention that a child werewolf named Teddy begs to be cuddled," Harry said, pulling Siria close.

Remus dropped into the closest recliner. "I never thought of that…"

"Thought of what?" Severus asked, brow quirked. "That naming your son Teddy could lead to many adoring women?"

"No…" Remus shook his head. "He could be a werewolf."

"That wasn't obvious?"

"He could have the curse."

"As could any werewolf offspring…"

"What was I thinking?"

Sirius sat down next to his friend, patting the man's shoulder. "Obviously not with your head."

"This is what you've done to me, Sirius. I no longer think with my head."

"No," Draco said, petting Severys. "You think with your…."

"Draco!" Hermione called out, clapping a hand over his mouth.

"What?" he mumbled, wriggling to escape her grasp. "I was going to say snake."

"These poor children," Regulus shook his head, "are going to be speaking in sexual innuendos by the time they're five."

"I guess now is not the best time to bring up my wedding plans…" Dora said, sighing.

"If it's really that important, we can leave…" Severus said, rubbing his fiancee's shoulders.

"….And leave your friend in need of comfort?"

"Friend? I think more like science experiment."

"Aww," Sirius jumped up, hugging Severus. "I didn't know you cared so much."

"Science experiment is not a kind term, Black."

"Umm, help," Dora said, hacking as she wriggled out of the Black-Snape hold. Sirius squeezed even more.

"Dora, help." Severus wheezed.

"Well," Dora stood up, finally free of the two men, "I will see you two tomorrow…when everyone's not super emotional." She shook her head. "I need at least one level headed person planning this wedding."

Regulus raised his hand. "Can I come with?"

"Do you mind talking different shades of purple?"

"I can even give a soliloquy on the pros and cons of lilac."

"Ahh," Dora grabbed her cousin by the shoulder, "you're the sister I never had."

"I'm a guy."

"Even better."

The two left, arms linked. Harry watched as they disappeared into the floo.

"So, what should we do next?" Harry asked, cuddling deeper into the couch.

"Find the next horcrux?" Severus suggested, picking up his latest potions journal.

"I was thinking within the next few hours, but…"

"He does have a point," Hermione said.

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?" Draco asked, nose scrunched. "You were hoping your best friend Ron would take a nine-month journey with you into the quest that is destroying all horcruxes?"

"Draco…" Hermione sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"No," Draco said, pouting, "I know what you were thinking. You were going to go on this grand adventure with Weasley and leave me out of it."

"Why would we do that?"

"Because of timelines…"

Hermione shook her head. "I think we've thrown the timeline out the window."

"Anyway…" Severus rubbed his face. "Miss Granger is correct. I do have a good point. However, it does not include you taking a nine-month camping trip. Especially with Weasley…"

"Thank you," Hermione said, crossing her arms. "I was thinking that the camping trip from hell could be avoided. Finally, someone agrees."

"But. How?" Harry asked.

"Have you completely forgotten the fact we know where they are?"

"So where is that pesky locket again?" Harry crossed his arms. "Because last I checked, Umbridge couldn't have taken it while she's in Azkaban."

"Well," Sirius said, eyes rolling over the Daily Prophet, "it could always be Fudge." He held up the paper, showing Fudge's maniacally laughing face.

"How'd he get it?" Draco asked, brow furrowed.

"Well, you said that Fate and Time told you there were fixed points which you could not change," Severus started, his hands interlacing. "It seems to me that there are in fact specific fixed events that cannot be changed in their entirety. For example, your continual issue with that inane hippogriff third year." The man stared at his fingernails. "Yet, it was not Draco that caused the beast's demise this past time, was it?"

"No," Draco and Harry said together.

"So," Hermione said, eyes narrowed, "what you're saying is that Fletcher had to steal it…but the person who confiscated it was a neutral point. It could have been anyone."

"Anyone in the ministry…" Severus corrected gently. "Whoever found him had to be from there…otherwise, it would have caused a significant issue with legality."

"And this is not a significant issue with legality?"

"I said legality, Miss Granger, not morality." Severus shook his head. "Anyway, Padfoot why do you feel Fudge is it?"

Sirius held up the picture. "Because he's wearing the locket."

The rest of the group zeroed in on the man's neck. Clear as day rested the locket, the S prominent on Cornelius Fudge's chest.

Severus shook his head. "Well, I'll be damned."

"So," Harry squinted at the article, "we have to infiltrate the ministry again?"

"You could," Sirius said, folding up the paper. "We'd need some Polyjuice and a few ministry officials…"

"And Black is leading you on a frivolous quest that will waste time and get you nowhere." Severus snatched the paper from the animagus.

"Why do you say that, Professor?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

"Because it says right here that Fudge was taken to Azkaban for selling ministry secrets."

"To whom?" Luna asked, laying upside down on the couch. "Seems a bit far-fetched to be Voldemort."

"Unnamed party…" Severus read, glancing up to gauge their reactions. "Would any of you have an idea of who that might be?"

"Could be Pious Thicknesse," Draco said, watching Severys curl around his fingers. "It could easily have been a sting operation."

Hermione shook her head. "I need to get you off of those muggle crime novels."

"You could always give me something better to do."

"Here's another collection of Encyclopedia Brown."

Draco scrunched his nose. "Yes, dear, that's exactly what I was talking about."

Harry jumped up and dusted off his pants. "Well, while the rest of you sit here discussing who Fudge was talking to, I'm going to Azkaban and getting that darned locket."

"Hold on!" Sirius said, grabbing the boy by the shoulder. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

The boy patted down his pants pockets. "Wallet, keys, wand…nope, got it all."

"My permission?"

"Why would I need that?"

"Sirius has a reasonable expectation of respect," Severus said, folding the newspaper across his lap.

Remus scowled. "Which is very surprising."

"What do you want me to do?" Harry folded his arms. "Wait around until Voldemort places his stupid taboo and we're all forced to stand around with our heads in our arses?"

"Harry, I think you're forgetting one important thing."

"What?"

"A plan," Sirius said, glaring. "As your godfather, there is no way on earth I'm letting you barge in there all brash and brazen-like."

"All brash and brazen-like?" Severus furrowed his brow. "I thought that was your motto."

"Well, now I have a new motto: don't do something stupid."

"And when did you learn that?" Remus asked, hands thrown in the air.

"Somewhere between my best friends dying and my brother coming back to life."

Harry sighed long-sufferingly and plopped back into his seat. "Fine, have it your way! We'll plan it out first."

"Thank you," Sirius said, throwing out a rolled piece of parchment. "Fresh off the presses."

Hermione unrolled the parchment to reveal a detailed layout of Azkaban. Her eyes narrowed. "When did you have time to make this?"

"When you have eight hours a day of unsupervised time, you get bored." Sirius shrugged. "There were only so many pranks a dog could do before he decided to do something constructive."

"And why a map of Azkaban?"

"I already had one of Hogwarts."

"Enough," Severus said, rubbing his eyes. "I don't have the time for this. We have an hour before I need to be back at Spinners End to have tea with Narcissa and Bellatrix."

"Why?" Draco asked, nose scrunched.

"We have to spend some time together scheming."

"Anyway…" Hermione pulled the map closer to herself. "So, here's Bellatrix's old cell. IT looks like Umbridge has taken that spot."

"Yeah," Luna scrunched her nose, "her trial didn't last long, did it?"

"They had multiple victim accounts and physical proof of the black quill." Remus rubbed his hands together, a grin spreading across his face. "Twenty life sentences plus a kiss thirty years in…Quite a just punishment, wouldn't you say?"

"Not the point," Severus said, pulling closer to the map. "It appears they placed Fudge in your old cell, Black."

"Also a just punishment," Hermione said, her nose scrunched. "Serves the bugger right for not listening to us."

"Hermione Jane Granger!" Harry said, mouth agape. "Language."

"Would you rather bastard?"

"Thank you."

"Does this here show horcruxes?" Draco asked, peering deeper.

"Yes," Sirius said, head tilted, "because all map-makers know how to create horcrux trackers."

"Would've been useful," the blond mumbled.

Severus sighed as he stood. "I must be going. Cissa will be angry if I'm tardy." He turned, glaring at the crowd of Gryffindors and lone Ravenclaw. "Do not do anything until I have returned and heard your plan of action."

"Yes, Mum," Sirius said, eyes rolling.

"Sirius Orion Black, I mean it." Severus growled. "You are not only my soon-to-be cousin, you are also my friend and the father of a beautiful young girl I care about." He glared. "And I hate you for making me say that aloud. Do not throw yourself into danger without my express say-so."

Remus glared at Sirius as the dark man departed. "I didn't do anything half as bad as you and I'm still just a science experiment."

Draco furrowed his brow. "Actually, I do believe that's a step up from friend. He does enjoy his science experiments."

The crew saw none of Severus (other than in passing) for the rest of the month. As such, they were unable to track down Fudge and get to the locket, much to the consternation of some Gryffindors.

"I just don't understand!" Harry growled, flopping down into their cabin on the train. "Is it so hard for him to say, 'Alright, good work, team. Let's go kill a maniacal mass murderer?'"

"Harry," Hermione sighed, shaking her head for the umpteenth time. "Your godfather cares about you and wants to make sure all your contingencies are accounted for."

"His contingencies can kiss my arse," Draco said, crossing his arms and pouting.

"I miss having only one godfather," Harry said, glaring. He straightened. "Wait, no. I like having multiple godfathers. I just wish they were slightly more irresponsible."

Luna shook her head. "You can't always get what you want, but you can try and sometimes you find you get what you need."

"Luna, where did you hear Rolling Stones?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowing.

"Regulus decided to switch his study from ancient history to modern music."

"But that was modern ten years ago."

"He gained his understanding of modern music from Sirius," Draco said, grabbing a book from his bag. "Blame him."

Meanwhile, Severus stood in front of the group of teachers he was about to disappoint. He'd hoped to only disappoint one woman in his life…why did most of the professors here have to be women? He sat, sighing.

"Is everything alright, headmaster?" Sinistra asked, venom lacing the title.

The dark man rubbed his forehead. "I have some news I must share with you all." He took a deep breath. "I have—of my own free will and volition—decided to ask Minerva to step down from her duties as deputy headmistress."

"What?" Fillius asked, jumping up and down in his chair in anger.

"Why?" Pomona asked, thumping the table.

"Reasons that I do not need to justify to you," Severus said, growling. Minerva patted his shoulder.

"If it helps, he has a point," the transfiguration professor said. "Twenty years ago, I barely had a handle on a crew of miscreants that terrorized the Gryffindor tower." She turned, glaring at Sirius. "And with age, I do not believe I've gained much more control over rambunctious boys."

"Weasleys," Bellatrix coughed.

Sirius yelped, jumping and throwing himself across the room. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Oh, that," Severus rubbed his scalp, "I forgot that announcement." He sighed. "I have also—of my own free will and volition—hired Bellatrix LeStrange for the position of Muggle Studies professor."

"So, what?" Sirius glared. "Is she going to bring in muggles and cut them open to study?"

Bellatrix's eyes sparkled. "That's a great idea, cousin."

"No!"

"Enough!" Severus silenced the room. He pointed to the empty seat. "Sirius, come sit."

"No, she killed me."

Narcissa stared at him. "Really? You seem very alive to me."

"Well, she wants to."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that," Bellatrix said, shrugging. "But, I want to kill most people, so…"

"Black, sit, now," Severus said, once more pointing to the empty chair.

"She just admitted to wanting to kill most people."

"Sirius." The headmaster smirked as the man gingerly sat down. "Good dog."

"Now, Severus," Minerva said, crossing her arms. "That other announcement?"

"Which one?"

"Who will take over my position?"

"Oh, yes," Severus sighed, rubbing his eyes once more. "I have chosen someone I believe will truly fulfill the need of disciplinarian of the school."

Professor Vector scowled, raising her hand. "But—"

"Save all comments until I have finished my announcement." Severus held up a hand, taking another deep breath. "I have chosen—of my own free will and volition—"

"Can you stop saying that?" Horace slurred.

"I have an unbreakable vow saying I must." Severus closed his eyes. "I have chosen—of my own free will and volition—one…Sirius Orion Black."

Silence filled the air. Magical crickets chirped underneath the window. A hippogriff cried out in the distance.

A chuckle echoed through the room. It grew louder and louder, until Narcissa Malfoy fell to the floor, her body shaking in hysterics. She stood, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh, Severus, I never understood your sense of humor, but this is too much," she said, sitting back in her chair.

"This isn't a joke, Narcissa."

"But it has to be…" Pomona said, both hands anchored to the table.

"I do believe Sirius has many qualities that will make him an excellent deputy."

"Name one," Sirius said, mouth agape.

"Well, you were once a very mischievous child. Therefore, you have much more knowledge in how to detect lies, pranks, and other misbehavior."

"That is actually quite true."

"On top of that," Severus said, crossing his arms. "You know what discipline actually deters poor behavior. You have a good handle on the miscreant mind, and you know better than anyone else how to mold that mind for the better."

"Yes," Narcissa said, under her breath. "Throw them in Azkaban for a few years."

"Well," Argus Filch shrugged, standing from his spot at the table, "at least detentions will be down."

The golden trio and Luna sat down at the Gryffindor table. Ron Weasley glared at them.

"What's the Raven doing here?" the redhead asked.

"She's sitting with us," Hermione said, pulling the girl close.

"Since when is that allowed?"

"Well, according to Section Five of the rule book," Draco said, pulling out a copy from his bag, "the head boy and head girl may allow anyone from any house to sit anywhere they would like."

"Head boy? Head girl?" Dean asked, brow furrowed.

"Yes, Harry and Hermione."

"I object!" Lavender said, jumping from her spot. "He wasn't even a prefect!"

"Silence!" Severus called out, allowing his voice to echo throughout the Great Hall. "If the great boy-who-lived would do us the pleasure of quieting down…"

"He wasn't even talking," Draco called out, glaring. The dark man glared back. "As you were…"

"With the sorting complete, it is time for some announcements." Severus scanned the crowd. "As you may be aware by now, we have had a great upset in our faculty dynamics recently…" He smirked. "If you were not aware, you are a plague on society and should kill yourself now."

"Severus!" Minerva scolded.

"Anyway," Severus sighed. "We have multiple new professors, some changes in titles and responsibilities, and I must say I made all these decision of my very own free will and volition…."

"Ah, shut up," Sirius called out, eyes sparkling and mouth twitching.

"Thank you, Black." The headmaster took a deep breath. "Which brings me to my first announcement: with the death of the previous headmaster, I have ascended to the position of head of this school. As it was felt by many people that a young man should not be working over a much older woman with less-than-adequate discipline strategies…"

"Hey!" Harry yelled, arms crossed. "Professor McGonagall's a great teacher."

"With less-than-adequate discipline strategies…" Severus glared at his godsons. They both snapped their mouths shut. "I have decided to place Professor Black under me as deputy headmaster."

"What?" Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Remus cried out in unison.

"Hurray!" Luna cheered, clapping wildly.

"If any of you disagree with my decision…" Severus pointedly stared at the werewolf behind him, "…you may take it up with me personally."

"Oh, I will," Remus said, standing and backing up quickly. He grabbed the thin air and yanked it through the antechamber door. He handed Siria off into the antechamber and came back empty handed.

Severus quirked a brow. "Is everything all better?"

"Yes," Remus nodded, standing against the door. He jerked forward before slamming his back harder. "I'm alright. Are you doing okay, Severus?"

Seamus raised his hand. "If you two are done, we'd kind of like to eat."

"Not quite," Severus said, shaking his head. "It is also true that with my ascension comes a missing potions professor and head of house."

"So, we're back to one potions professor?" Parkinson asked.

"No," Severus sighed. "It is obviously too much for one man—or woman—to take care of seven years worth of potions classes. Besides, I think it impossible to place Horace as head of house in good conscience."

"Why I…." Horace's eyes narrowed.

"Horace, sit down and drink your mead." Severus crossed his arms. "As you can see from the current faculty seating arrangements, we have joining us two wonderful women who will help with several missing faculty appointments. Narcissa…" The blonde stood, waving. "Narcissa Malfoy has gladly taken the position of advanced potions professor and head of Slytherin."

"And what about LeStrange?" Neville asked, glaring.

"She is taking the position of Muggle Studies professor, as sadly our previous professor passed away over the summer."

"Oh so conveniently," Justin Finch-Flecthley mumbled.

"Enough," the headmaster helped up his hands, calling for silence. "I know change is difficult. However, we all knew this would be coming. We had a full two months to consider the ramifications of the sudden loss of Headmaster Dumbledore. We as a faculty have done the best with what we have in front of us. Please, take a moment to remember him and then you may begin your meal." He bowed his head. "Welcome back to Hogwarts."


	78. Seventh Year Three

AN: Hello all! Things are settling down once more. We are so sorry to not have been posting as frequently. When one of us is busy, the other is free. So, we haven't written as much as we'd like. We are continuing on with our revised fanfiction, but I just started working on that again, so it may be a little while until we upload (as marauderfascination has to find time to read through and approve the edits). We also will be posting a new story...so watch out for that. I plan to post the first couple chapters today or tomorrow. Enjoy!

Severus threw open his chamber door to find a livid werewolf and zombie.

"What are you two doing here?" the dark man asked, scowling. "You could've been seen!"

"Last year, you were all upset at us for coming to you under an invisibility cloak," Sirius said, coming up behind him. "Now, you're upset we didn't."

"Last year, the worst we had to fear was a barmy old headmaster or a possible death eater scion." Severus rubbed his eyes. "Now, we are up against two seasoned death eaters." He shook his head. "I repeat: what are you two doing here?"

"We have some concerns about your current decisions, Severus," Remus said, patting the man on the shoulder.

"Some concerns?" Regulus asked, throwing his hands in the air. "Some concerns? Are you completely batty, Snape? Putting Siri in charge of the student body? Bellatrix as Muggle Studies professor…?"

"I have my reasons…" the dark man dropped into his seat. "None of which you have an authority to question."

"No, no way," Hermione said, bursting through the doors, Draco hot on her tails. "You are not going to have Sirius Orion Black as deputy headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Oh, but I already have," Severus said, quirking a brow. He glanced over at the blond who followed her in. "Dragon, weren't you in charge of Siria this evening?"

"I got distracted," Draco said, scowling.

"By what?"

"My mother."

Sirius's eyes widened. "Where is my daughter?"

"Like I said, with my mother."

"Are you bloody insane?" Regulus asked, eyes widening in horror.

"Hey," Remus placed his hands on his hips, "at least we know Narcissa won't try to break down the Great Hall doors while still holding the infant."

"Precisely," Hermione said, arms crossed. "Brilliant, Regulus, just brilliant. I now must come up with a new specter to explain the occurrence in the dining hall this evening."

"What occurrence?" Harry asked, huffing as he made the last step into the office.

"You mean, you didn't notice Lupin's fight with the door?" Severus asked, brow furrowed.

"Oh no, we noticed," Draco said, sighing. "However, we've learned long ago not to question anything the three of you are doing."

"And I am to be included in this?"

"Yes, because apparently it is well within your reason to elect Bellatrix LeStrange—deputy death eater extraordinaire—to teach Muggle Studies." Hermione moaned, placing her head in her hands. "That's like asking Hitler to teach Judaism."

"No, I think it's worse," Regulus said, huffing. "Because I highly doubt Hitler would be teaching said subject at the same school where an infant lived." He turned to his brother. "Maybe I should take Siria and get out of here."

Sirius sighed. "As much as I'd love to have my daughter separated from me for such a long amount of time, I'm going to say no."

"Sirius…"

"At least here, I know where she is and if she's safe. There's no telling what they could do if they had me convinced they had her in their custody."

Severus shook his head. "Look, I understand you all will never understand my reasoning, but it is actually very sound…"

"And that is?" Draco asked.

"I was told I must hire Bellatrix," Severus said, scowling. "Would you rather her a) be in charge of deadly potions, b) be in charge of deadly spell casting, or c) be in charge of a class the includes no magic what so ever?" He sighed. "I'm hoping some of her planning might lead her to a better understanding of muggles."

"You actually believe she will do lesson plans?" Sirius asked, smirking.

"I got you to do some."

"Okay, fine," Hermione held up her hand, "I understand why Bellatrix is muggle studies professor. But why in the world did you put Sirius in charge of discipline, student schedules, all the heads of houses, teacher-parent communications…"

"I'm in charge of what now?" Sirius asked, mouth dropping. "I want to be offended, but I…I don't think I can handle all those responsibilities."

"You will be fine, Padfoot, I ensured it," Severus said, rubbing his temples. "Besides, I'm sure Lupin and Black Jr. will be of much help."

"And Minerva surely will be willing to lend a hand when needed," Remus turned back in time to see the professor in question walking in, "right?" He did a double-take. "Minnie?"

"Good evening all." Minerva scanned the room. "Don't mind me. I'm just a professor coming to check-in with my superiors for my assignments tomorrow."

"Huh?" Sirius asked, mouth pinched.

"Well, you have my class schedules, do you not?"

"Uhm….uhm…"

"Because, the professors never receive them until the first day, when classes are settled."

"Which is a highly ineffective process," Hermione said, scowling.

"Which is necessary when students come asking for last minute switches or the use of a time turner to attend all available classes," Minerva said, smirking down at the girl. She glanced back at the four grown wizards. "And after that, I do believe I need a better explanation for him." She pointed to Regulus.

"Uhm…Well…"

"And the answer better not include Severus experimenting with cloning potions."

"Why, oh why," Severus started, holding his head in his hands, "would I clone Sirius Black? He is the last person I need two of."

"Yes," Remus cheered, "the experiment is better than the friend."

"Remus Lupin is the second-to-last person I need two of."

"Who would you want two of?" Harry asked, sitting in one of the chaise.

"That is between me, myself, and I."

"So, you'd clone yourself?" Draco asked.

The potions master tilted his head. "That would actually be very useful."

"Look," Sirius sighed, rubbing his eyes, "it's a late night. We all have an early day tomorrow. Minnie, the quick rundown is that Regulus survived his encounter with the inferi-laced lake and was preserved until I fetched him out the day of the invasion."

"Alright," Minerva said, nodding.

"He's currently my babysitter until I have successfully helped Harry destroy the last of the horcruxes Riddle made."

"Well, currently," Regulus said, tapping his finger on his arm, "Narcissa's the babysitter."

"Don't remind me," Sirius said, sighing. "The rest you can deduce from the current set-up, and your invitation to Spots and Dora's wedding…"

"Which has now been pushed back, Sirius," Severus said, leaning back in his chair. "Dora and I agreed it is not in the best interest of any here for her to come live in Hogwarts at the moment, and she thinks she has a lead on some information concerning one Hufflepuff heirloom."

"We know where that is," Hermione said, huffing in frustration.

"Yes, but we do not know the legal ramifications necessary to extract it without having to commandeer a dragon and burst through the roof of Gringotts."

"Well, I'll say, Severus," Minerva shook her head, "you have quite the imagination."

"I have quite the headache, and they are sitting right there."

"Needless to say," Sirius herded the teens toward the door, "time for all good little girls and Gryffindors to go to bed."

"But I'm…" Hermione started, only to have the door slammed in her face.

"Good night, Mione." Sirius turned to the rest of the crew. "Anyone else needing tucking in?" They all shook their heads. "Alright, I have to go save my daughter and rework the entirety of the school schedule."

First thing the next morning, Draco ran up to the deputy headmaster's office, pushing right past the long line of students waiting for their schedules.

"I'd like to add on Muggle Studies, please," Draco said, grinning maniacally.

Sirius glared. He pointed to the crowd of students in front of him. "Get in line, pal. I have over three hundred different corrections to make to current student rosters." He glared down at the parchment for a second. "Wait, you didn't take the muggle studies O.W.L."

"So?"

"So," Sirius scrunched his nose, "you can't take N.E.W.T. level muggle studies without having passed the O.W.L.s."

"Put me in the third year class."

"Can't. It meets during your oh-so-necessary potions mastery internship."

Draco's eyes widened. "Fourth year, then."

"That is during your N.E.W.T. level herbology course you need to graduate."

"I already took the curriculum," Draco muttered under his breath.

Sirius slammed the roster book closed. "Draconus Lucius Black, you are not getting into muggle studies at this moment in time. I have students who need to schedule remedial O.W.L.s, others that need to start their third-year course work, and yet others who no longer feel safe in their muggle studies class." He scowled. "Now I have one student who is begging to be put in there."

"So, you see," Draco's eyes sparkled, "it's a win-win for everyone."

"No," Sirius said, shaking his head. "It's a you-do-as-I-say-or-I-ground-you for everyone."

"You have that power?"

"Am I not your guardian, head-of-house, and deputy headmaster?"

Draco puffed out his bottom lip. "Please?"

"No, now go meet up with your mother to discuss your interning needs."

"But I…" The blond sighed. "Fine."

Draco marched down to the dungeons, mumbling under his breath about stupid potions mastery requirements. He pushed open the door and stopped short. There, in the middle of the classroom, stood Narcissa, wand in one hand, and a bouncing Siria in the other.

"What is she doing here?"

"What a nice way to greet your mother," Narcissa said, turning on the spot. She flicked her wand and the desks all settled.

"Well, I just assumed she'd be with Reg…Remus," Draco said, pausing to collect his thoughts before he said something stupid.

"He has a doctor appointment, Dragon," Narcissa tsked. "You—of all people—should know that."

"I of all people?"

"Well, you do spend most of your days with mudbloods and half-breeds, do you not?"

Draco's fists clenched. "Don't you DARE call them that!"

"Oh, darling, what have they done to you?"

"Draco, dear," Hermione called, waltzing into the classroom and kissing him on the cheek. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

The blond blushed. "I tried to sign-up for muggle studies this morning."

"Well," Hermione huffed, "didn't I tell you to take that class back in third year? How do you plan to relate to any of the students at Uni next year?"

"Uni?" Narcissa asked, nose scrunched.

"University." The bushy-haired Gryffindor turned back to her boyfriend. "And how do you plan to survive dinner with Gram and Gramps?"

"I have lived with Aunt Dromeda and Uncle Ted," Draco said.

"That was for a week," Hermione pursed her lips, "and they still live like wizards, Draco."

"You lived with Andromeda and her mudblood?" Narcissa screeched, throwing her free hand in the air. Her face reddened and a few strands of hair fell from their place.

"Where did you think I would go?" Draco asked, glaring. "I live with Sirius—sure—but he does have some stuff he needs to get done without me there…So, I spent a week with Tonks and her family." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You want to know what? I actually enjoyed their family better."

Narcissa gasped. "How dare you?"

"And Uncle Ted is loads of fun."

"Why, I never…!"

"…And I told Aunt Dromeda that I wished she were my mum instead of you."

Hermione gasped. "Draco, how dare you?"

The blond whirled around, jaw dropped. "You're on her side?"

"You don't say that about your mother! She gave birth to you!"

"So?"

"So?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Do you know what it's like to give birth?"

"Do you?"

"I had to see the videos in primary."

Narcissa's brow furrowed. "What are videos?"

"I'll explain later." The Gryffindor girl rubbed her temples. "Apologize to your mother right now."

The two blondes stared at each other. Draco's eyes narrowed and his mother's forehead knit in concern.

"Did she just order you around?" the woman asked, readjusting the babe on her hip.

"She does that a lot."

Hermione huffed, crossing her arms. "Because you don't know how to act like a proper human being."

"He gets it from his father," Narcissa said, sighing.

Draco shook his head. "Mother, I am sorry for what I said to Aunt Andy and to you. Would you like some help getting the classroom ready for the students tomorrow?"

"Yes," the woman said, nodding. "With young Siria, I can hardly do much."

Hermione left the two to their task and went to find her headmasters. It did not take long, as one currently sat at his desk rubbing his eyes while the other glared down at a piece of parchment.

"How do we only have two students left in muggle studies?" Severus asked.

"No one feels safe with Bellatrix," Sirius replied, eyes narrowing as he stared at his friend. "She does have a tendency to torture people when angry, mad, tired, annoyed, bored, or a little ecstatic."

"So…all the time?" Hermione asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Miss Granger," Severus closed his eyes, shaking his head, "what are you doing here?"

"Well, I am going to be a teacher here one day. I thought I'd get some behind-the-scenes action."

"That's very presumptuous of you."

"Are you saying you would take a ghost over anyone with a beating heart and an education degree?"

"No," Sirius said, holding up a hand to stall the argument, "Severus is not saying that at all. We all know that you will get the position once you receive your diploma."

"You're speaking for me now?" the potions master asked, arms crossed.

"Well, you tend to be curt when you need to be kind."

"And that is your concern?"

"As you best friend, cousin, and coworker?" Sirius nodded. "Sev, let me teach you a little something about friendship…"

"I've had friends, Black."

"Lily." Sirius's brow furrowed. "And she dropped you like yesterday's Daily Prophet after you made one little slip-up. Not what I call friendship."

"We'd been drifting apart."

"I set Remus up to kill somebody and we're still loyal to one another twenty years later."

Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Your grand lesson on friendship?"

"Oh, yes," Sirius smiled, "that. You see, friends recognize each other's weaknesses and help soften up those rough edges when needed. Used to do it with James all the time."

"And why didn't he do it with you?"

"He left that to Remus, and Remus is very passive-aggressive."

"And who was in charge of Pettigrew's edges? He dropped the cauldron on that one."

Sirius shrugged, blushing. "We might have forgotten about those."

"And you wonder why he turned on you."

"Neville never turned on us and we forget about him all the time," Hermione interjected, raising her hand.

"That's true," Sirius said, eyes dropping to take a second look at the class list. His head popped up. "By the way, where is he?"

"He might be hiding for his life," Hermione said, nibbling her lip.

"Why in the world is he doing that?"

"He may have said a few choice words to Bellatrix that didn't go over well."

Severus's head flew up. "Wait. Where is Bellatrix?"

"Where do you think? She's looking high and low for Neville."

"Shouldn't she be planning for classes?"

"What classes?" Hermione asked, pointing to the roster in Sirius's hand. "She has two students." She furrowed her brow. "Out of curiosity, which two students?"

"Draco and Harry," Sirius said with a shrug. "I found a way to get them in. Mostly because Bellatrix's schedule was very flexible." He turned to his friend. "Can we force students to take a class?"

"When it's taught by a homicidal maniac?" Severus quirked a brow. "Go for it, but then you're in charge of all the parent pushback."

"You don't think parents will back the decision?"

"I have never been more certain in my life that they won't."

Sirius rubbed his face. "Why don't we just force Slytherins to take it? They need it the most and it will be harder for Bellatrix to torture her own house."

"She's still going to do it."

"Yes, but then the pushback is on her, isn't it?"

Severus shook his head. "You still have the problem that Slytherin parents won't agree to have their children learning muggle studies."

"Do we have to tell them?" the marauder asked, head tilted and eyes wide.

"Yes and stop begging. It wasn't cute earlier this summer and it's not cute now."

"But Spots…"

"No."

Sirius turned to Hermione. "Come on, 'Mione. Tell him it's adorable."

"From a six-month-old little girl?" the Gryffindor asked, hiding a giggle behind her hand. "Yes. From her thirty-seven-year-old father? No."

"Can we help you, Miss Granger?" Severus asked, glaring.

"Again, just thought I'd shadow for the day."

"Fine." Severus grabbed a stack of envelopes and letters. "You want to help? You can stuff all of Black's parental conference notices and address them."

"You have conference forms already?"

"After the announcement we just made, I am positive the deputy headmaster will be up to his wand in parental complaints and concerns."


End file.
